Is your double chin the first thing you notice in the mirror or when you are on a Zoom call? If so, it can eventually become the only thing you see in your photos.
Over time, it can diminish your self-confidence, leading you to seek cosmetic solutions to remove it.
When diet and exercise are no longer effective, and you’re within five to ten pounds of your ideal weight, you may search for other solutions to remove your unwanted double chin.
Chin liposuction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that is found to be the most effective and trusted solution, producing immediate results that improve over the next few months.
In this article, we will discuss why your chin and neck are focal areas in your facial aesthetics, touch on other potential solutions for double chin removal, and discuss the qualities that determine whether you are a good candidate for Chin Liposuction.
The Double Chin: Why It Is A Focal Point of Your Appearance?
A double chin is caused by fatty tissue, which can be due to excess weight, genetics, aging, poor posture, hormonal changes, or a diet high in processed foods, unhealthy fats, and excessive sugar consumption.
The chin and neck have a significant impact on your overall aesthetic, especially in terms of perceived youthfulness.
- When your chin is well-proportioned, it creates a balance with other facial features and defines the neckline. A firm chin also defines your neck and jawline, making them appear sharper and well-defined, which is closely associated with a youthful look.
- A firm chin can also counter other effects of aging in the lower face, including bone loss and sagging tissues or jowls. Plus, a firm and well-defined chin also gives an appearance of strength and confidence.
Chin liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure that is reasonably priced and provides immediate improvement to your facial appearance. Results are permanent—once the excess fat cells are removed, they won’t return.
Chin liposuction performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon can have a significant impact on your overall appearance, and as a result, it can boost your confidence.
What is Chin Lipo?
Chin liposuction is a minimally invasive cosmetic surgery procedure known as submental liposuction. The procedure removes excess fat that creates a double chin appearance.
Unlike non-invasive solutions, such as CoolSculpt and Kybella, chin liposuction is typically performed in one session with immediate results that continue to improve over several months.
The procedure permanently removes fat cells, although if you gain a significant amount of weight after surgery, the remaining fat, particularly the visceral fat surrounding the neck structure, can enlarge, potentially leading to the appearance of a new double chin.
What Are The Pros and Cons of Chin Liposuction?
The pros of chin lipo, which aims to remove excess fat and improve the appearance of a double chin, include almost immediate results and minimal downtime.
- Most patients return to normal activities within a week or two. Chin Liposuction is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure.
- Dr. John Mesa, a board-certified, Harvard-trained, Triple Fellowship-trained Plastic Surgeon, specializes in extended chin liposuction and uses only local anesthesia to perform the procedure, which is safer than general anesthesia or twilight sedation ( IV sedation). When performed under local anesthesia, patients can drive themselves back home after the procedure.
- Swelling and bruising usually resolve rapidly and are generally unnoticeable one to two weeks after surgery. Although your tissues will continue to heal, further improvement can be expected over the following three to six months.
Cosmetic surgeries are not covered by insurance, so the reasonable cost of the procedure, combined with the noticeable improvement in appearance, is another positive feature of chin liposuction for a double chin.
As with any surgical procedure, Chin Liposuction has risks, which may include bruising, bleeding, infection, asymmetry, areas of numbness, or an uneven contour.
- Certain risks are increased for people who are not good candidates, and the results may not meet their expectations.
Extended Chin Liposuction
Dr. John Mesa always performs an extended chin liposuction procedure for his patients. Extended chin liposuction refers to Dr. Mesa’s specialized technique, in which fat is removed from under the chin and jawline.
Contrary to the traditional Chin Liposuction, which limits fat removal to the area just beneath the chin, Dr. Mesa makes two small incisions behind the ears and extends fat removal along the jawline and neck, which further defines the contours of the chin and neck, creating a more symmetric appearance and a more even contour.
Extended chin liposuction is especially important to enhance the appearance from the side, in profile view.
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Who is a Good Candidate for Chin Liposuction?
When you meet with a board-certified plastic surgeon in NYC like Dr. Mesa, who has expertise in facial and neck procedures, they will help you determine whether chin liposuction is the right procedure to remove your double chin and improve your facial appearance.
Having Excess Chin Fat
Chin liposuction removes excess fat from under the chin.
If you are at or near your ideal weight and have isolated fat deposits under your chin and along the jawline, chin liposuction can help address these issues. If your problem is skin laxity, another procedure, such as NeckTite (a skin tightening procedure) or a Neck Lift, may be considered.
Has Good Skin Elasticity
After double chin fat removal, your skin will have to retract or tighten to achieve good results. The best candidates should have firm, healthy, elastic skin. This will allow you to achieve a well-defined chin with a natural appearance after your procedure.
- For older patients, Dr. Mesa also suggests Skin-Tightening Procedures like NeckTite and Morpheus8 Treatment, which ensure smoother, younger-looking skin retraction after chin liposuction.
Have an Ideal or Stable Weight
Another key factor in determining if you’re a good candidate for Chin Liposuction is being within 5-10 pounds of your average weight.
If you are planning significant weight loss, wait until you are close to your ideal weight to optimize the results and ensure that further weight loss won’t accentuate any remaining fatty areas.
If you are obese, you should note that chin liposuction is not an obesity treatment, and you should consider weight loss through diet and medical interventions instead. If you had chin liposuction before losing a significant amount of weight, the results may not appear fully optimized when you finally achieve your goal weight.
Non-Smoker
You should be a non-smoker or willing to quit, as smoking interferes with the natural healing process in chin liposuction.
- This interference occurs due to the nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other toxins. These chemicals cause tightening and narrowing of our blood vessels, reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery to healing tissues.
- If you want to heal and achieve the best outcome, you will need good blood circulation to carry nourishment to tissues, remove waste products, and boost your immune response to the wound.
- Smoking also impairs lymphatic fluid drainage through the lymph system and increases inflammation, contributing to increased puffiness and swelling. This is especially noticeable in areas like the chin and neck.
- If you smoke, you are likely to have slower healing with an increased risk of infection and surgical wound dehiscence. Scarring can be more visible, although in patients who do not smoke, it is minimal. Your risk of uneven results or irregularities in the chin and neck contour increases due to poor healing caused by smoking.
Good Overall Health
You should not have a significant medical condition that could interfere with your surgery and recovery. If you have cardiovascular disease, a blood clotting disorder, or diabetes, you may want to consider a different solution for eliminating fat in your double chin.
Reasonable Expectations and Willingness To Follow Post-Op Instructions
A good candidate for chin liposuction understands that the procedure removes excess fat to address a double chin, but it does not address skin laxity.
- It is also important to realize that although the downtime is short and immediate results will be visible, you will have to follow your surgeon’s post-op instructions closely, including wearing a compression bandage initially.
- You should also maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle after your surgery.
Situations In Which Chin Liposuction Should Be Delayed
- If you have recently undergone another facial surgery, waiting until you are fully healed is important. You should also consult your surgeon about the timing interval.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, chin liposuction—an elective cosmetic procedure—is not recommended in these scenarios due to the risks associated with anesthesia or the perioperative medications for the fetus or the newborn.
- Additionally, your body shape and weight will undoubtedly adjust after this period. You should delay chin liposuction until your weight and body shape are stable and you are done breastfeeding.
Situations In Which You Should Consider Other Options
- You should consider non-surgical options if you have a history of keloid scar formation or delayed wound healing, poorly controlled diabetes, cardiovascular disease, a blood clotting disorder, or taking a blood thinner.
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Final thoughts
If chin liposuction sounds like the right procedure to consider for removing excess chin fat, you should take the next step.
Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate your case and help you decide whether chin lipo will be the best option. If you’d like a consultation with Dr. Mesa, a plastic surgeon specializing in extended chin liposuction, contact us here.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I smoke but am willing to quit, could I still be a good candidate for chin liposuction?
Yes, but your surgeon may ask you to quit for 2 weeks to a month before surgery to allow smoking-related damage to subside and ensure the best results.
What procedures should I consider if my skin is loose, but I also have excess fat beneath my chin?
During your initial consultation, your surgeon can provide you with individualized advice. Chin lipo can be combined with minimally invasive skin tightening procedures, such as NeckTite and FaceTite, or more invasive procedures, like a neck lift or lower facelift.