Top 3 Non-Surgical Procedures to Get Rid of Double Chin
When you have your picture taken and you look your photo, which part do you notice first? It's probably your jawline, because it makes your face look more defined and slimmer. But for those with double chins, the jawline does not look defined and makes the face look much bigger because there is a layer of fat beneath the jawbone. Many people have a lot of concerns when it comes to getting rid of double chins.
Medically advised and reviewed by Dr. Choi Bo Yoon from Dr. Skinny Clinic in Korea, we will introduce 3 best non-surgical procedures that actually work to reduce the appearance of double chins. Before we get into the treatments, let's take a look at the causes of double chin first. Identifying the cause of your double will help you choose the right treatment.
Three Main Causes for Double Chin
1. Excessive fat on face
The first cause of double chin is the amount of fat underneath the chin. Some people could have been born with some extra fat under the chin, but usually people gain a double chin when they gain weight, which causes the fat cells to grow bigger.
2. Loss of skin elasticity in the jawline
Many people assume that the cause of double chin is 'fat', and you get a double chin if you have a lot of fat around your neck. Usually, people tend to get injections to reduce the fat in the chin, but some people may find that the results were not as great as they hoped.
The reason for that is because fat volume is not the only cause for double chins. There are many different causes for double chins and one of them is the loss of skin elasticity in the jawline. The chin and jaws are located at the most lowest part of our face, so due to the force of gravity, the skin gets pulled downwards.
Usually, the skin at the chin holds up the fat within. But for those who have lost their skin elasticity, their skin sags and is not able to hold up the fat. This causes the double chin to become more obvious.
3. Neck muscle shrinkage
Photo Credit: PT Master Guide
The last cause is something that many people may not notice. It is the neck muscle shrinkage. There is a large muscle in our neck called 'platysma', and this muscle surrounds the entire neck all the way down to the jawbone. As we age, this platysma muscle tightens and shrinks. The shrinking platysma muscle tugs at the corners of the mouth and the lower cheek fat. It pulls down at the lower half of the face, and the lower cheek fat and mouth corners droop downwards. This causes the jawline to look less defined and the double chin to look more noticeable.
Top Three Procedures for Double Chin
To get rid of double chin effectively, you should get a treatment that targets the cause of your double chin.
1. To reduce fat volume: Fat dissolving injections
To address the first cause of double chin, we have to reduce the volume of fat in the chin. One of the best procedures for that is the fat dissolving injection, also known as the contouring injection. It's important to note that the components for fat dissolving/contouring injections are different at every clinic.
Here are some things to look out for when choosing a fat dissolving injection:
The first thing you need to check is whether the injection contains steroids or not. Injections with steroids can affect the hormone balance which may cause menstrual irregularity or bloody discharge. It is also possible that the injection may leave a dent in the skin, so it's best to avoid steroid injections.
The next thing you need to check is whether the injection only temporarily reduces the fat cells or if it completely destroys them so that the number of fat cells is reduced. If the injection only makes the fat cells smaller, they will usually return to their original size around 6 months later. On the other hand, if the fat cells are destroyed, they will never return so there is no yo-yo effect to worry about. Of course, you would have to maintain the results with a healthy diet and exercise, or the remaining fat cells can still grow in size.
2. To increase skin elasticity: Lifting laser treatments
If you have lost skin elasticity, there are many lifting laser treatments you can get such as Ultherapy, New Thera or Shurink. Lifting laser treatments administer ultrasound thermal energy into your skin. According to Dr. Choi, the principle is the same as when you cook squid on the stove and it shrinks as it gets cooked. Similarly, when the sagging skin on the double chin is heated, the skin tightens and gets lifted up.
A dermatologist can also control the depth of the lifting laser. It can be used not only to increase elasticity in the skin, but it can also reduce the volume of fat. This requires skill and technique from the doctor. The results will vary depending on how deep you go with the lifting laser. The most common depth is called the SMAS layer. If you target the sagging facial plane, then you will see a tightening effect with the laser. If the cellulite layer is targeted, the heat will melt the fat and the fat volume will decrease.
3. To relax the neck muscle: Dermatoxin (Skin botox)
To relax the tight platysma neck muscle, a procedure called dermatoxin is usually done. Dermatoxin can be used in various part of the face and body, but when dermatoxin is used on the jawline, the double chin is lifted and the jawline becomes more defined.
Related: Botox vs Skin Botox - Which One Is Better For You?
Because the platysma muscle is pulling the lower part of your face downwards, relaxing this muscle with dermatoxin will allow the double chin to return to its original position.
By getting the right treatment that targets the cause of your double chin, you will be able to see better results. It's important to visit a skilled and experienced dermatologist who will be able to determine the cause of your double chin and recommend a suitable procedure.
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