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Kybella St. Louis
Kybella is an FDA-approved injectable that reduces a double chin without surgery, dissolving the stubborn fat beneath the chin that diet and exercise often can’t budge. At St. Louis Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in Troy, MO, treatment is planned and performed by a double board-certified dermatologist with deep, published experience using this medication.
Double board-certified
Dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery
Fellowship-trained
Advanced cosmetic and reconstructive training
Physician-owned
Independent practice, never corporate
Troy & Chesterfield
Second location now open
What Is a Double Chin, and Why Won’t It Go Away?
Submental fullness, the clinical name for a double chin, is fat that sits beneath the chin and along the upper neck. It’s extremely common, and it isn’t only about weight: genetics, age, and skin laxity all play a part. Many people who are otherwise lean still carry stubborn fullness here that won’t respond to diet or exercise, simply because of where their body stores fat.
For years the only options were liposuction or surgery. Kybella offers a non-surgical alternative: a series of small injections that gradually dissolve the fat, with no incisions and no downtime in the surgical sense.
What Is Kybella?
Kybella is the brand name for deoxycholic acid, a substance your body produces naturally to help break down dietary fat. When injected precisely into the fat beneath the chin, it disrupts those fat cells so the body can clear them over the following weeks. Once a fat cell is cleared this way, it’s gone and does not come back, which is why results tend to be lasting. Significant weight gain could still affect the fat cells that remain, so a stable weight helps maintain the result.
Because the treatment works gradually, improvement builds over a series of sessions rather than all at once, which also keeps the change looking natural.
Deep, Published Experience With Kybella
Most practices use Kybella for one thing: the double chin. Dr. Beal’s experience with deoxycholic acid goes further. While training at the Cleveland Clinic, he led the treatment of a patient with Madelung disease, a rare disorder that causes painful fatty growths, using Kybella to dissolve lipomas that would otherwise have required repeated surgery. The patient improved so much that, by his own account, he went the longest stretch in a decade without an operation. The case was published in a peer-reviewed dermatologic surgery journal and is indexed in the medical literature.
For you, that depth of understanding of how this medication behaves in tissue translates into careful, precise treatment of something far more routine: a more defined chin and jawline.
Your Kybella Treatment
1
Consultation
We examine the chin and neck, confirm that the fullness is fat rather than loose skin, and map out how many sessions are likely to reach your goal.
2
Treatment
We ice the area for comfort, then place a series of small injections in a grid under the chin. Each visit takes only a few minutes once you’re settled.
3
Results Over Time
Swelling is expected early on and is part of the process. Many patients see meaningful improvement after the second session, with most reaching their goal in a handful of treatments.
Results You Can Expect
How many sessions you need depends on how much fullness is present and your goals; many patients do well with a few treatments spaced about a month apart, and significant improvement often shows after the second. Because the cleared fat cells do not return, the improvement to your chin profile tends to last, though staying near a stable weight helps maintain it. Some swelling after each session is normal and settles as you heal.
Results vary.A consultation is required to determine whether Kybella is appropriate for you, and treatment plans are individualized. Kybella treats fat beneath the chin; it does not tighten loose skin, and the number of sessions and degree of improvement differ from person to person.
Is Kybella Safe?
Kybella is FDA-approved for submental fullness, and serious problems are uncommon when it’s administered by a qualified, exceptional injector who knows the anatomy of the neck. Because there are important nerves and structures in this area, precise placement matters, which is the case for choosing an experienced provider. Your provider will review what to expect with you.
- Swelling under the chin after treatment, sometimes noticeable, which is expected and temporary
- Bruising, numbness, redness, or tenderness in the area
- Less common: areas of firmness that resolve over time
- Rare: temporary uneven smile or difficulty swallowing, which careful technique works to avoid
Pairs Well With
A defined chin is part of the lower face as a whole. Some patients combine Kybella with masseter treatment to slim a wide jaw, or with dermal filler to sharpen the jawline. To see the full range of non-surgical lower-face options, visit our jawline contouring overview. Your provider will recommend what, if anything, would complement your goals.
Schedule a Kybella Consultation in Troy, MO
The first step is a conversation about your chin and neck and an honest assessment of whether Kybella is the right approach, or whether another option would serve you better. We welcome patients from across the region, including O’Fallon and St. Charles, at our Troy office, and our second location in Chesterfield. Call (314) 834-1400 or request a consultation online.
Common questions
Kybella FAQs.
How many Kybella treatments will I need?
It varies with how much fullness is present and your goal. Many patients do well with a few sessions spaced about a month apart, and significant improvement often appears after the second. Your provider gives you a realistic estimate at your consultation.
Are the results lasting?
Once the fat cells are cleared, they don’t come back, so the improvement to your chin profile tends to last. Staying near a stable weight helps maintain it, since significant weight gain can still affect the fat cells that remain. Many patients find they don’t need further treatment once they reach their goal.
What is recovery like?
The main thing to plan for is swelling under the chin, which is expected and can be noticeable for several days after each session. Bruising, numbness, or tenderness can also occur and settle on their own. Many people work around the swelling by scheduling sessions with that in mind.
Does Kybella tighten loose skin?
No. Kybella treats fat, not skin. Many patients do see a firmer-looking contour as the fat reduces, but if loose skin is the main concern, a different treatment may suit you better. A consultation sorts out which issue is driving the fullness.
Kybella or liposuction?
Both reduce fat under the chin. Kybella is non-surgical and done in a series of quick visits, with swelling between sessions. Liposuction is a single procedure that removes more fat at once but involves a minor surgical recovery. Your provider can help you weigh which fits your goals and preferences.
A sharper profile, without surgery.
Kybella for the double chin, by a double board-certified dermatologist. Troy, MO, and Chesterfield now open.