Just approved by the F.D.A. in the summer of 2015, Kybella is an exciting new injectable that treats what is commonly referred to as a “double chin,” or submental fat. This area is notoriously difficult to treat with diet and exercise alone. Before the advent of the Kybella treatment, cosmetic physicians often employed laser therapies or surgeries such as liposuction to reduce the appearance of submental fat.
Kybella is the trade name for ATX-101, a patented synthetic form of deoxycholic acid, a substance that naturally occurs in the body and helps it to break down and metabolize dietary fats. Once injected into the double chin, Kybella works to destroy the cell membrane of fat cells. With the membrane now gone, the fat cell releases it fatty contents and the body metabolizes them as normal.
Kybella works over a period of two to six treatment sessions, spaced no less than one month apart. Dr. Roche will work hand-in-hand with you to determine how many treatment sessions may be necessary to achieve your desired results. Factors taken into consideration when co-creating your personalized regimen include your age, anatomy, physiology and goals.
She may inject the area multiple times during each treatment session. To maximize your comfort, the area will be numbed before beginning treatment. Once each particular fat cell is destroyed, you will not need retreatment: results are permanent.
As with many injectables, the treatment itself is completed in usually less than thirty minutes. The fat begins to dissolves within 10-15 minutes of the injection. Immediately after the treatment, you may experience some swelling in the area: this is simply an inflammatory response from your body “cleaning up” the cellular debris of the destroyed fat cells. Swelling can take three to four weeks to completely subside. Typical results appear within four to six weeks and will continue to improve as additional treatments are administered. In clinical trials, over 79% of patients reported that they were “satisfied” with their treatment outcomes. Over 84% of patients had noticeable improvement in their chin area.
Once each particular fat cell is destroyed, you will not need retreatment: results are permanent, provided there are no significant lifestyle changes. However, even the patients in the clinical studies who experienced weight gain after their treatment did not see the return of their submental fullness, or “double chin.”
Allergan, makers of world-renowned, safe and effective injectable treatments like Botox, Juvederm, and Voluma, acquired the company that developed Kybella, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., in October 2015.
Before & After Pictures
