Priorities
Double chin
Fullness under the chin that doesn't change with weight loss, whether it's fat, loose skin, or both.
Treatments from $599
The short version
Fullness under the chin is often a small pad of fat that stays in place even when your overall weight goes down. Diet and exercise lower total body fat, but they can’t target this one area.
A pinch test helps tell the difference. If the area feels soft and full between your fingers, it’s fat. If it feels loose and thin, it’s skin, which calls for a different approach.
Why it happens
Why fullness under the chin stays
Fullness under the chin usually comes from a fat pad, loose skin or both. Genes play a big role, which is why it can show at any weight and often outlasts weight loss elsewhere.
It runs in families
Some people inherit a fuller pad under the chin or a softer jawline, even at a healthy weight.
Weight shows here too
Weight gain often reaches the chin and neck, and this area can be the last to slim down.
Skin loosens with age
As skin loses elasticity, it can drape under the chin and create fullness without much fat.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic, double chin
Your options
How we'd approach it
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Step 1We'd start with
Kybella
From $599
About KybellaIf you can pinch a pad and the skin over it snaps back, Kybella is the right tool. It's deoxycholic acid, FDA-approved for moderate to severe fullness under the chin, injected in a grid by our nurse practitioners. Plan on two to four sessions at least a month apart, with about a week of swelling after each one.
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Step 2If you need a little more
Morpheus8 for the skin over it
From $1,200
About Morpheus8 for the skin over itIf the fat clears and the skin stays loose, Morpheus8 on the neck can tighten it from underneath once the swelling is gone. For mild laxity, Forma is the gentler option.
Side by side
Your options side by side
Fat and loose skin each have their own treatment. Here's how they compare.
We'd start with
Kybella
From $599
- Best for
- A soft pad you can pinch, with skin that snaps back
- Appointment
- 15 to 30 minutes, ice and lidocaine first
- Downtime
- Swollen and tender 3 to 7 days, numb for weeks
- First results
- 4 to 6 weeks after each session
- Sessions
- 2 to 4, some need up to 6, at least 4 weeks apart
If you need a little more
Morpheus8 on the neck
From $1,200
- Best for
- Loose skin once the Kybella swelling has cleared
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes for the face, more with the neck, numbing included
- Downtime
- 2 to 5 days of redness, grid marks, and fine scabs
- First results
- Some tightening in the first few weeks
- Sessions
- 1 to 3, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart
Forma on the neck
From $249
- Best for
- Mild laxity, with no downtime
- Appointment
- 30 to 45 minutes, no numbing
- Downtime
- None. Pink and warm for 15 minutes to a few hours
- First results
- Subtle firming after the second or third session
- Sessions
- A series, usually 4 to 6, then maintenance every few months
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
What to expect after Kybella
Swelling is most noticeable for the first few days and eases over about a week. The change shows four to six weeks after each session and builds over the series.
Day 0 to 3
Swollen, tender, and numb, which is expected. Ice and keeping your head raised help.
Week 1
Swelling is settling, though it's still firm to the touch.
Weeks 4 to 6
First reduction visible. Time for your next session, if planned.
Session 2 to 4
A similar week of swelling after each, at least 4 weeks apart.
Weeks 4 to 12 after the last
Your full result, and the time for comparison profile photos.
Month 6 and beyond
Lasts as long as your weight stays stable.
Timeline for Kybella, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
Fat or loose skin: finding the right treatment
We’ll take a profile photo, check the area with a pinch test, and have you tilt your head back. That shows us how much is fat, how much is skin, and whether there are platysma bands, which nothing on our menu treats.
A discrete pad with decent skin is a good match for Kybella. The dose is set by the label: 0.2 mL injections 1 centimeter apart, up to 50 per session, and up to six sessions no less than a month apart. In the trials, 59 percent of subjects took all six, and swelling affected 87 percent, bruising 72 percent, and numbness 66 percent, per the prescribing information. Four percent had a temporary crooked smile from the nerve along the jaw, and all of those resolved on their own. That’s why we map the injection grid carefully before treatment begins.
If you have fat plus loosening skin, we’ll start with Kybella, then move to Morpheus8 or Forma on the neck. If it’s skin alone, there’s no need for Kybella. Individual results vary.
People also ask whether semaglutide or tirzepatide would help. We offer medical weight loss at Lincoln Park, and if weight is the larger goal, the same nurse practitioners can discuss it with you. A GLP-1 lowers total body weight but doesn’t target the chin specifically. If you’re lean and have had fullness under the chin for years, Kybella is likely the better fit.
Your questions, answered
How noticeable is the swelling?
Swelling is most visible on days 0 to 3, and a collar or scarf helps cover it. From day 4, it usually looks like a slightly full chin. If you have an event coming up, plan your sessions so the swelling has time to settle before it.
Will losing weight fix it first?
Sometimes. If you're at a stable weight and the pad is still there, you're likely a Kybella candidate. If you have a lot of weight to lose, we'd suggest focusing on weight first, because loose skin after a large loss changes the plan. We can discuss medical weight loss at the same consult.
Do you have a fat-freezing device?
No. We don't offer body-contouring devices at Lincoln Park. We treat a double chin with Kybella, and loose skin over it with Morpheus8 or Forma. For a heavy neck, surgery is usually the more effective option.
Why won't my double chin go away?
Chin fat is often genetic and doesn't respond much to diet and exercise, so it can stay even after you've lost weight elsewhere. If it's a soft pad you can pinch, Kybella targets that fat directly.
How long do Kybella results last?
Kybella destroys the fat cells it reaches, and those cells don't come back, so the result is long-lasting. Significant weight gain can still add fat to the area, so keeping a steady weight helps. Individual results vary.
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