There’s a New Cure for Double Chins

“I love my double chin!” said nobody, ever—and if a new drug becomes popular, double chins might soon become a thing of the past.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Kybella, a drug that promises to get rid of double chins with a few simple injections. Kybella is identical to the deoxycholic acid produced in the body that helps it absorb fats, and it works to dissolve fat under the chin by destroying the membrane of fat cells, causing them to burst. The rest of the fat cells are then absorbed back into the body.

The drug’s safety was tested in two clinical trials of 1,022 patients and can get rid of a double chin within six months after receiving monthly injections, the FDA says. Patients can be injected up to 50 times per treatment, meaning it could take up to 300 injections to get rid of a double chin altogether.

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While 300 is a lot, for many people that's still preferable to current, more invasive options for getting rid of a double chin: liposuction or plastic surgery.

Of course, ditching a double chin with a few simple injections isn’t without potential side effects. The FDA says there’s a risk of developing nerve injury in the jaw that can cause an uneven smile or facial muscle weakness, as well as trouble swallowing. The FDA also warns that Kybella can destroy other types of cells, such as skin cells, if it’s accidentally injected into them—so proper injection is important.

“It’s an intriguing new drug,” says dermatologist Cynthia Bailey, M.D., a diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and president and CEO of Advanced Skin Care and Dermatology Inc. “Once the cells are gone, you don’t make new ones, and the body seems to handle the digestion of ‘exploded’ fat cells without problems.”

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However, she points out that the remaining fat cells still have an unlimited ability to pack in fat, so they can swell up—and cause another double chin—if a person gains weight again. Bailey also says that, just like any new medicine, we don’t really know what other unintended consequences there are until Kybella hits the market and is used more often.

Matthew Schulman, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New York, stresses that Kybella isn’t an end-all, be-all for people with double chins. He says liposuction is still preferable with necks that have a larger amount of fat. And, if a person’s neck has extra fat or loosing, sagging skin, a surgical necklift is the best way to go.

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Overall, Bailey thinks Kybella will be popular. “So many people are unhappy with their chins as they age, and to date, we have not had great options for shrinking the fat pad in it,” she says.

Kybella should be available starting in June. Unfortunately, insurance won’t cover the injections, and it’s too soon to say how much it will cost.

And since we know you’re wondering, Kybella is only FDA-approved for blasting double chins, not other body parts—right now, at least.

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