Areas of Concern
A double chin is a layer of fat below your chin and jawline. The layer of fat, also known as submental fat, gets its name from the fact that it creates the appearance of a second chin below the section of your jawbone that gives its shape to your natural chin. A double chin can result in self-consciousness or a lack of confidence, as they alter the appearance of the face and profile.
Some individuals with a double chin may be overweight, but double chins can occur on anyone — they are sometimes the result of genetics, or of the loss of skin elasticity that occurs with ageing.
The best and most effective way to eliminate a double chin is through surgery. There are several surgical options, including liposuction and neck lifts, that can permanently eliminate a double chin, resulting in a tighter, more youthful appearance and a more pleasing facial symmetry and profile overall.
Neck liposuction is one effective surgical option for reducing or eliminating unwanted fat around the chin area. This type of procedure is minimally invasive, and can be performed under general or local anesthesia: During neck liposuction, your plastic surgeon will make a small incision, and then use an energy-assisted device to liquefy and coagulate unwanted fat cells, which are then removed with a suction device. The incision is closed, and patients generally recover within 2-3 days.
Patients will experience some swelling and minor bruising around the treatment area following their procedure, and Dr. Bell will recommend medications — such as painkillers or over-the-counter pain management medications — to help ensure a speedy, comfortable recovery.
A neck lift is a surgical procedure that recontours the neck and jawline, tightens underlying tissues and muscles, and removes excess skin. The procedure pulls skin tightly together, and creates a youthful and slim chin and neck contour.
Like liposuction, a neck lift can be performed under general or local anesthesia. Your surgeon will make an incision under your chin, in order to remove the excess fat that causes a double chin. Muscles are then tightened, and any loose skin is removed. The incisions can be hidden under your chin, and inside and behind your ear. The two neck muscles under your chin, called the platysma bands, may need to be tightened and sutured together, as well.
If you would prefer not to have surgery to correct your double chin, there are some non-surgical options available to you, including injections or fillers, Coolsculpting, and skin tightening.
There are a number of injections or fillers, designed for anti-aging purposes, that may help reduce or eliminate your double chin. Kybella is an FDA-approved injectable treatment that uses deoxycholic acid to attack and destroy fat cells in your skin. The procedure is permanent, but results are seen approximately three months after the procedure.
Like Kybella, Coolsculpting is a non-surgical procedure that permanently eliminates fat cells. This procedure uses paddles that are held against the skin, which destroy fat cells using cryotherapy — in other words, the fat cells are frozen and killed. Like Kybella, results can take up to three months to become fully visible.
Skin tightening treatments, like Thermi, use thermal energy to target and kill fat cells. This type of non-surgical treatment must be performed more than once for optimal results.
The cost to fix a double chin will depend entirely on the type of procedure you choose — which, in turn, will depend on the severity of your double chin and whether your desired outcome also involves other aesthetic changes, such as a tighter neck. At TPS, Surgical procedures, like liposuction, begin at $6,999, while a neck lift begins at $14,999. Non-surgical procedures, such as Coolsculpting, begin at $799.
At TPS, Dr. Bell will work closely with you to determine your desired outcome, and to discuss which type of procedure is best for you. With decades of experience in plastic surgery, including all types of facial cosmetic procedures, Dr. Bell is one of Canada’s most well-known plastic surgeons not only because of his expert results, but because he works with each patient to determine a personalized, individual plan. Contact the clinic for your double chin elimination consultation today.
Physician and internationally recognized cosmetic Plastic Surgeon and lecturer.