Say Goodbye to Your Double Chin: Causes and Treatments Revealed

If you’re worried about a little extra fat under your lower jaw, you’re not alone. In a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, 70% of consumers stated they were bothered by excess fat under their chins or on their necks.

A study published in Dermatologic Surgery found that a double chin can have a significant negative effect on how attractive a person feels. The study concluded by stating that reducing submental fat can improve physical appearance and also boost one’s self-esteem.

In this article, we will discuss the common double chin causes and the methods that are often used to address them.

Top 5 Double Chin Causes

The region underneath the chin is called the submental area. A double chin occurs when a layer of fat forms in this space.

There are many reasons why some people have visible fat in this area, ranging from being overweight to having a genetic predisposition. Below are the five most common causes of a double chin.

1. Excess Weight

Obesity is one of the top double chin causes. When a person gains an excessive amount of weight, it isn’t just gained on their stomach, legs or arms. When you gain weight, you can also expect it to be on your face, including in the area underneath the chin.

2. Body Composition

Gaining wait isn’t the only reason for developing a double chin. In fact, naturally slender people can develop a double chin if they have a high body fat percentage and low muscle mass. This may result from a genetic predisposition, hormone imbalances, aging, an unbalanced diet or a lack of exercise.

3. Genetic Factors

A person’s facial structure is primarily determined by genetics. Some people have more prominent, angular jawlines, while others inherit a softer, less-defined jawline.

Retrogenia, or receding chin, is a condition marked by a chin set too far back relative to the rest of a person’s face. This condition may result in the appearance of a double chin. However, it is not the same as a double chin and requires different treatment approaches, such as chin implants, that do not apply to double chins.

Additionally, some people are born with a small chin and jawbone. Since it lacks enough support, the skin in the submental area may sag, creating a double chin.

4. Aging

As a person gets older, they lose muscle tone in the face and neck area and experience skin thinning. This may cause the jowls to sag, resulting in the appearance of a double chin.

5. Poor Posture

Sitting hunched over, slouching while walking and even constantly looking down at your phone could, over time, cause the muscles in your chin and neck to weaken. The effect is similar to that of facial aging – the skin underneath the chin eventually sags, contributing to the formation of a double chin.

Double Chin Treatments

Many people dislike the fact that a double chin distorts their facial profile and makes their necks look bigger. While a double chin in itself is harmless and does not impact a person’s physical health, it can substantially negatively impact their confidence. For this reason, it’s common for people to seek a way to reduce or, if possible, eliminate their double chin.

Articles on getting rid of a double chin by exercising the jaw area and using jaw tools abound online. However, there is no hard, scientific evidence on the effectiveness of facial exercises for eliminating double chins. What’s more, using jaw tools, like jawline exercises, incorrectly may cause pain or injury.

Fortunately, proven and scientifically backed ways of eliminating double chins do exist. Here are some of them.

Four Ways to Reduce or Eliminate Double Chins

1. Losing Weight

If your double chin is caused by excess weight, consider exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet. A calorie deficit, or eating fewer calories than you burn, will help you lose weight.

However, remember that this method of addressing a double chin takes time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. This helps ensure that your weight loss is both safe and sustainable.

Before starting a workout regimen or a new diet, be sure to consult your physician first. Your doctor can prescribe a fitness and nutrition plan that considers any health issues you currently have and ensures it aligns with your weight loss goals.

2. Double Chin Surgery

Plastic surgeons may use a combination of surgical procedures to remove excess fat and sagging skin from the chin and jaw area. These procedures include:

• Submental Liposuction (Chin Liposuction): A plastic surgeon makes small incisions into the treatment area to allow the insertion of a hollow device called a liposuction cannula. The surgeon moves the cannula around to help break up the fat. At the same time, gentle suction draws the fat from the treatment area through the cannula and out of the body. Chin liposuction typically requires local anesthesia to reduce pain during surgery.
• Lower Facelift (Lower Rhytidectomy): A lower facelift is a more complex surgical procedure that removes fat from the submental area and tightens the skin at the same time. Patients who undergo this type of double chin surgery are typically placed under general anesthesia for their comfort.
• Neck Lift (Platysmaplasty): This surgical approach generally involves several procedures. Collectively, these procedures remove excess fat and skin from the submental area and tighten or reshape neck muscles for a firmer appearance. A surgeon may combine a neck lift with a facelift for more dramatic results. This procedure is typically done under general anesthesia.

3. KYBELLA®

If your double chin is not caused by excess weight, you don’t want to undergo surgery or you want results more quickly, KYBELLA® may be a promising treatment option for you. It is a prescription medicine administered under the chin via multiple tiny injections. KYBELLA® is the only injectable treatment for submental fat that the FDA has approved.

KYBELLA®’s active ingredient is synthetic deoxycholic acid. When injected into the fat beneath the chin, this substance permanently destroys the fat cells. The result is a noticeable reduction in submental fat. The fat cells treated with KYBELLA® do not grow back, which means the treated area will no longer develop a double chin, even with weight gain.

People who have undergone this double chin treatment see noticeable results approximately four to six weeks after the final session. The results will improve further with time.

Curious about KYBELLA® treatment and its transformative effects? Learn more about this revolutionary solution by clicking here, or contact our expert team today for personalized information and answers to all your questions. Click here to get in touch!

4. CoolSculpting® Elite

This treatment involves cryolipolysis, a nonsurgical method that is used to eliminate fat deposits in specific body parts. Cryolipolysis is FDA-approved, and the FDA has cleared CoolSculpting® Elite for use on nine areas of the body, including under the chin and jawline.

This double chin treatment is nonsurgical and minimally invasive. During a session, a licensed practitioner directs cold temperatures to your target areas using two handheld applicators connected to a CoolSculpting® Elite system.

The applicators pull the treatment area away from the rest of the body and cool it to a specific low temperature. This process causes the fat cells underneath the skin to freeze.

In turn, this causes some of the frozen fat cells to die. Over time, the destroyed fat cells are expelled by the body naturally.

Each CoolSculpting® Elite session takes between 30 and 60 minutes per treatment area. How many sessions you need depends on the personalized treatment plan developed by your provider. Results may become noticeable within one to three weeks, but the full effects may take at least three months to appear.

Want to learn more about the amazing results of CoolSculpting® Elite treatment? Find out all the details by visiting our information page here, or click here to contact our team of experts today for personalized information and answers to all your questions. 

The Bottom Line

Weight loss may help improve the appearance of a double chin if the cause of the double chin is excess weight. There are other effective treatment options for double chins with different causes, such as surgery, KYBELLA® and CoolSculpting® Elite.

If you’re considering double chin treatment, it is crucial to research the pros and cons of the various options available. Consider your goals – do you want drastic results, or will a moderate improvement suffice? Other factors to consider are the procedure’s risks and average downtime.

For instance, if you want noticeable results quickly and prefer a nonsurgical approach, then KYBELLA® or CoolSculpting® Elite may be the right option for you. Both procedures are minimally invasive and require little to no downtime. With KYBELLA®, you can return to your normal activities one day after treatment. Meanwhile, CoolSculpting® Elite requires no recovery time.

Both procedures permanently remove fat cells so that you can improve your appearance and ultimately make your double chin less noticeable and resolve it completely.

Look and Feel Your Best With the Help of Advanced Aesthetics

Since 1997, Advanced Aesthetics has been providing clients throughout Oklahoma with aesthetic services curated with their needs and goals in mind. Our team has over 25 years of combined experience in aesthetic face, skin and body treatments, and we utilize the latest techniques and cutting-edge technology to ensure our patients’ satisfaction.

Our goal is to help our patients look and feel their very best. Don't hesitate to contact us to learn more about our services or book an appointment.