Double chin removal with Lipolysis

Double chin removal without surgery with Lipolysis

Lipolysis is an invasive technique to remove fat in the double chin without surgery. This treatment has the European CE mark and is also approved by the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Lipolysis has thus been found to be completely safe. During the treatment, deoxycholic acid is injected into the fatty deposits of the double chin. Deoxycholic acid is naturally present in our body to dissolve fat. Lipolysis treatment has been shown by research to help only with localized fat accumulation and is not suitable for overall weight loss. Injecting deoxycholic acid into the in the double chin breaks down fat cells after which they are disposed of through the liver. Lipolysis treatment is done under local anesthesia and the first results can be seen after about two weeks. In total, you will need about 3-4 treatments.

History of Lipolysis

The use of an injection to reduce localized fat began around the 1960s to treat or prevent fat embolism. Then in the late 1980s, Dr. Sergio Maggiori showed satisfactory results at a mesotherapy congress in Paris. In 1995, Brazilian dermatologist Dr. Patricia Rittes treated her own lower eye cushion by an injection that locally dissolved the fat. In 2003, the “Network Lipolysis” was founded in Germany and European research began into the scientific background of this new treatment variant in aesthetic medicine. Today, the use of deoxycholic acid to reduce fat in the double chin has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (source: Phosphatidylcholine treatment to induce lipolysis [1].

Various grease dissolving substances

There are several crucial substances in our body that can cause fat to dissolve. The most important are:

1. Phosphatidylcholine. This is an essential structural component of cell membranes. In addition, phosphatidylcholine is important for fat metabolism and removal of fats from the liver. This substance makes fat into mini particles allowing transport of fat.
2. Deoxycholic acid. This is a component of human bile acid. This substance plays a vital role in the emulsification and digestion of fat in the gut (source: Fat Busters: Lipolysis for Face and Neck [2]). Research by Rotunda and colleagues [3] showed that when deoxycholic acid is developed externally it causes cell death and that relatively protein-poor tissues such as fat are more susceptible to destroying cells than relatively protein-rich tissues such as skin and muscle. The clinical efficacy and safety of deoxycholic acid have been established in multiple studies.

Several combinations of the above substances have been tried. However, deoxycholic acid appears to be the active component when it comes to destroying fat cells (source: https://www.rivm.nl/publicaties/adipocytolyse-door-subacute-injectie-van-lipostabil-literatuurstudie [4]). Finally, in 2015, the Kybella brand’s first deoxycholic acid injection was approved as a medication for reducing fat in the double chin (source: deoxycholic acid injection: a nonsurgical approach for reduction of submental fat [5]).

Lipolysis creates an inflammatory response

When you undergo lipolysis treatment, the cell wall of adipocytes is destroyed. Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes or fat cells, are the cells that largely make up fat tissue. The injection of deoxycholic acid causes an inflammatory reaction because of this the adipocytes decrease in volume. In addition, the inflammatory response causes the formation of connective tissue resulting in the production of collagen. This causes tightening of the skin. The treated area may feel red and warm due to the inflammatory response (source: Tissue-selective effects of injected deoxycholate [6]).

Preparation for Lipolysis

To ensure that only the fat deposits are treated with deoxycholic acid, it is important to determine exactly where the fat is located in the double chin. Indeed, the skin and muscle tissue surrounding the fat should not be affected (source: Tissue-selective effects of injected deoxycholate [6]). The doctor will ask you to tighten your neck muscles; you do this by moving your jaw downward. This is because the fat is in front of this muscle, the tightening allows the doctor to see and feel exactly where the fat accumulation is. Then the area is marked off and the injection points are placed on the double chin like a grid. Each injection point is 1 cm apart. Thus, you will receive multiple injections during lipolysis treatment (source: Fat Busters: Lipolysis for Face and Neck [2]).

Application of Lipolysis Injection

1. A 1ml syringe with a thin needle is used.
2. Photographs are taken before.
3. The area is marked off and injection points are placed on the skin.
4. No anesthesia is used unless patient specifically requests it.
5. Per treatment, 3-5ml of deoxycholic acid is injected divided among the different injection points.
6. The doctor may grasp the excess fat of the double chin during treatment to ensure proper depth. The injection is placed approximately between 6-10mm deep.
7. About 3-5 treatments are needed to achieve the desired results. Of course, this depends on the amount of fat in the double chin.
8. After treatment, people experience discomfort for 2 days to 2 weeks.
9. The result is visible gradually, after about 2 weeks the result can be seen.

After treatment with Lipolysis

The deoxycholic acid causes an inflammatory reaction in the double chin. This may involve swelling and redness. Keep in mind that this may persist for 2 to 2 weeks. In fact, the body is in the process of destroying the fat. These discomforts can be treated by cooling. When you undergo Lipolysis treatment, you will be injected with deoxycholic acid. This method of fat cell destruction seems to be effective only for localized fat deposits such as the double chin. It is important to accurately determine where the fat is during treatment. In this way, only the fat tissue can be treated and the surrounding skin and muscle tissue will be spared. When Lipolysis is applied to the double chin, this treatment has been found to be completely safe by both the European CE and the U.S. FDA.

Literature List

[1]Hasengschwandtner F. (2005). Phosphatidylcholine treatment to induce lipolysis. J Cosmet Dermatol, 13:308-13.

[2] Talathi, A. & Talathi, P. (2018). Fat Busters: Lipolysis for Face and Neck. J Cutan Aesthet Surg, 11(2): 67-72.

[3] Rotunda A, Suzuki H, Moy RL, Kolodney MS. (2004) Detergent effects of sodium deoxycholate are a major feature of an injectable phosphatidylcholine formulation used for localized fat dissolution. Dermatol Surg,13, 1001-8.

[4]
https://www.rivm.nl/publicaties/adipocytolyse-door-subacute-injectie-van-lipostabil-literatuurstudie

[5] Dayan SH, Humphrey S, Jones DH, Lizzul PF, Gross TM, Stauffer K, et al. Overview of ATX-101 (deoxycholic acid injection): a nonsurgical approach for reduction of submental fat. Dermatol Surg. 2016;13:S263-70.

[6] Thuangtong R, Bentow JJ, Knopp K, Mahmood NA, David NE, Kolodney MS. Tissue-selective effects of injected deoxycholate. Dermatol Surg 2010;36(6):899-908.
m ensuring that only the fat deposits are treated with deoxycholic acid, it is important to determine exactly where the fat is located in the double chin. Indeed, the skin and muscle tissue surrounding the fat should not be affected (source: Tissue-selective effects of injected deoxycholate [6]).