Kybella in Sarasota, FL

What is Kybella?

Kybella Sarasota Florida
Kybella (deoxycholic acid) is the first and only injectable drug that is FDA approved to treat submental fullness. It is a quick and relatively painless non-surgical treatment for men and women to eliminate double chin fat or fat in other areas of the body and face. Prior to Kybella, the only option for fat removal in the neck was surgery and liposuction. Dial (941) 379-6647 today to learn more or to schedule your Kybella consultation with Dr. Jennifer T. Trent!

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How do the kybella injections work?

Kybella is the answer to double-chin and neck fat, also known as submental fullness, which is caused by localized fat deposition. This injectable solution may be an alternative to liposuction and neck lift surgery for mild to moderate cases of submental fullness. This cosmetic injectable is based on a natural substance made by the body, deoxycholic acid. This is an organic compound that the body uses to break down dietary fat. This targeted use of deoxycholic acid proves a powerful adversary to eliminate localized deposits of fatty tissue.
Kybella works by injecting deoxycholic acid into a small treatment area, the middle portion of the upper neck, to destroy fat cells. When deoxycholic acid is absorbed by fat cells, it liquefies the fat which is then metabolized by the body and excreted naturally over time. Bye-bye double chin!

Is Kybella the right treatment for my double chin?

As mentioned above, if the skin and muscles under your chin don’t have good elasticity, Kybella isn’t the right treatment for addressing your double chin. A neck lift or lower facelift would be better approached to address not only the fat but to remove excess skin. If you have good elasticity, Kybella is a great, non-invasive treatment option.

What should I expect during my first Kybella treatment?

Before you receive Kybella, Dr. Trent must first decide that you’re a good candidate. What’s important is that you still have good elasticity in the skin and support muscles under your chin. This is necessary because once the fat cells are broken down, the skin needs to tighten down over the slimmer contour. If the patient doesn’t have good elasticity, removing the fat under the chin will leave loose, hanging skin.

Once she decides Kybella is a good option for you, she will move ahead with your first set of injections as is described above.

What to expect during and after the treatment of a double chin?

Kybella treatment is conducted in the office with no need for anesthesia or numbing medication. Patients may apply ice prior to their treatment sessions to improve the comfort of multiple injections. After thoroughly marking the neck area for injections using a carefully-planned grid, a few dozen small injections are administered. It is relatively painless but some may experience a moderate heat sensation. The entire treatment should be complete within approximately 20 to 30 minutes. It does, however, take several treatment sessions to achieve optimal results.

How many Kybella injection sessions will I need?

The FDA has approved a maximum number of Kybella injection sessions at six. Every patient is unique, so it’s hard to say you’ll need “x” number of Kybella treatments. Many patients feel they achieve the results they seek in from two to four Kybella treatments. In clinical studies, 59 percent of patients opted to have all six treatments. Treatments need to be spaced at least four weeks apart. This allows time for the deoxycholic acid to break down the fat so that patients can decide if they need another session or not.

How does Kybella compare with liposuction?

Prior to the development of Kybella, the only way to address a double chin was to either have a neck lift or lower facelift or neck and chin liposuction. Those are all surgical procedures, and they involve the risks inherent, such as infection, excessive bleeding, uneven results, and the like.

Then along came Kybella. First approved by the FDA in April 2015, Kybella was the first non-invasive option for removing fat under the jawline and slimming the profile.

In liposuction, a tiny incision or series of incisions are made in the skin under the jawline. A cannula, a thin tube with suction, is inserted into the incision and is moved about under the skin to break loose and suction out fat cells. This movement can create tissue trauma and subsequent bruising, but the fat cells removed are permanently gone.

With Kybella, there aren’t any incisions. Kybella is made from deoxycholic acid, a substance that occurs in the human body whose job is to aid in the breakdown of dietary fat. In a series of injections, Kybella is delivered under the skin below the jawline, the location of the patient’s double chin. The deoxycholic acid attacks the fat cells, just as it does with dietary fat, and this breaks down the fat cells over the course of the next couple of weeks. The body then removes the destroyed fat cells through the lymphatic system. As the fat is diminished under the chin, the skin tightens down and the patient’s profile slims. As with liposuction, with Kybella the fat cells are permanently removed. 

Both liposuction and Kybella remove fat under the chin permanently. One procedure is surgery; the other is non-invasive, involving only injections.

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Can Kybella injections be combined with other treatments? 

Kybella can be combined with other treatments we offer at American Dermatology Associates. Kybella is injected in a very specific area, under the jawline, so treatments that target other areas could be combined in your appointment. For instance, you could erase your crow’s feet with Botox, have laser hair removal done on your armpits, or even remove some of those spider veins on your calves.

During your Kybella consultation with Dr. Trent, you can discuss the option of combining other treatments with your Kybella injections.

Are there any side effects?

As with any injectable treatment, there are minor side effects that may occur after Kybella. The most common side effects that occur after Kybella injections include redness, swelling, and bruising. These may last from a few days to 2 weeks Numbness may last up to 6 weeks. Other rare side effects include hair loss in the treatment area, infection, pain, allergic reaction, itching, trouble swallowing, an asymmetric smile from nerve damage, tissue necrosis, tingling, burning, and change in the pigment of the skin.

How long does swelling last?

One of the most prominent side effects of Kybella treatment is swelling. This may be the result of the body’s natural inflammatory response to numerous injections, or it may have to do with the swelling of fat cells as they absorb the product. It may come down to the amount of product that is introduced to such a small area. Whatever the ultimate reason for swelling after each Kybella session, this is a temporary side effect. Some patients remark that they look like a “bullfrog”. In many instances, swelling peaks at 3 days and slowly subsides from there. Because multiple sessions are scheduled to obtain optimal results, they may feel as though swelling persists for weeks. In the end, the final result from the repeated Kybella treatments is the reward that is worth a few days of “hiding” here and there.

Kybella Results

Due to initial swelling, results from Kybella treatment are usually first noticed approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the first treatment. It can take 2-6 treatments to achieve your goals. At this point, thanks to clinical trials, we know that the results from Kybella treatments are permanent. However, there are various factors, such as subsequent weight gain, that remain somewhat questionable. To date, studies show that even slight weight gain does not seem to cause submental fullness to return. That being said, patients are encouraged to maintain healthy lifestyle habits to sustain a healthy weight and to retain the results achieved by Kybella. Results from Kybella could last many years with such habits.

Who is NOT a good candidate?

Certain patients are not good candidates for Kybella treatment. These include patients with a bleeding disorder, patients who are pregnant or nursing, patients who have recently had surgery or cosmetic procedures or are planning to in the near future, patients who have trouble swallowing, patients with nerve damage to the face or neck, and those with active infections.

Contact Dr. Trent For Kybella Treatment In Sarasota!

American Dermatology Associates is proud to offer our highest standard of care to patients from the Sarasota area. To learn more about Kybella, call (941) 379-6647. Or, you can fill out the form in our contact page for your one-on-one appointment with Dr. Trent.

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