Nonsurgical Alternatives to Liposuction Under the Chin

Posted April 26, 2023 in Face

2 Minute Read: 

Lots of us (perhaps most) have some extra fat under the chin. Does everyone need liposuction? Of course not. What are the alternatives?

1. Do nothing. If the excess fat under your chin is not a major concern, I suggest doing nothing. Minor problems don’t always need solutions.
2. Lose weight. If you gained some weight during COVID-19 lockdown and now the area under your chin is a little fluffier, weight loss is the easiest (and cheapest) solution. Of course, if your chin bothered you even when you were skinnier, then weight loss may be of limited value.
3. CoolSculpting®. CoolSculpting® of the area under the chin may provide very modest improvement. Unfortunately, major improvement is highly unlikely. And lots of patients complain that it made no difference.
4. KYBELLA®. KYBELLA® was supposed to reshape the world (pun intended). The concept is that you’re injecting digestive enzymes into your neck to dissolve the fat. As you can imagine, the neck doesn’t like this, and it causes a tremendous amount of inflammation with redness, pain, swelling, and firmness. And this occurs over and over with each injection. It is frequently more expensive than liposuction and arguably less effective. It is also limited to the area immediately beneath the chin and cannot be used safely along the jawline. It also makes subsequent liposuction (and lots of our patients have had Kybella) more complex and difficult.
5. Jawline fillers. Restylane® Contour, VOLUMA®, and VOLUX™ have been used to accentuate the jawline. These are very expensive (up to $3500 per treatment) and are temporary. (The latest, greatest filler, JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™, lasts 12 to 18 months.) If the primary problem is excessive fat below the jawline, liposuction is around $3500 and only has to be done once.
6. Liposuction. We know that liposuction actually gets rid of fat because there is a large bowl filled with fat at the end of the procedure. Unlike CoolSculpting®, liposuction makes a visible distinct difference. Unlike KYBELLA®, liposuction can also be used to contour the jawline–and it only has to be done once. Liposuction often eliminates the need for jawline fillers (which are expensive and temporary). 

I perform about 50 submental (under the chin) liposuctions each year, and now our patients fly in from across the United States.

Interested in Learning More?

To learn more about the procedures offered, contact Dr. Friedman in Dallas, Texas, by calling our office at (469) 467-0100.