Submental fat, or a double chin, is extremely common. This condition essentially occurs when a layer of fat forms below the chin. While many people associate it with weight gain, many people experience it for other reasons. These reasons include loose skin and even genetics. Some people try for months or years to get rid of stubborn fat beneath their chin to no avail. In this blog, we’ll explain several different options on how to get rid of a double chin.

At Silhouette Plastic Surgery, we treat a number of issues in the realm of plastic surgery. It’s hard to look in the mirror and see something you’ve been working out to get rid of. Keep your chin up, there’s hope. Along with offering submental liposuction for double chins, we also offer nonsurgical treatments. If you have stubborn fat under your chin or anywhere else, we’re here for you. To schedule a consultation with an Orange County Plastic Surgeon, please call 949-359-8397 or fill out our online intake form.

What Causes a Double Chin?

A double chin appears out of nowhere. You’re smiling in one shot, and your jawline appears to be in good shape. Then you get a glance of yourself in the mirror and notice that you have multiple chins at a specific angle. A double chin, also known as submental fat, can be caused by a variety of factors. It might be due to extra fat, but there are other reasons why you see double when you look at your chin.

  • Age: The suppleness of your skin begins to deteriorate as you age. Your skin may become sagging and loose in your neck and elsewhere on your body as a result of this loss of elasticity. This sagging, loose skin beneath your chin gradually develops into a double chin.
  • Excess fat: When you have a double chin, the fats in your face have nowhere else to go except under it. To put it another way, your double chin is caused by extra weight and fat. Being overweight doesn’t always mean you’ll have a double chin, but it might increase your chances of getting one.
  • Genetics: Take a look at the rest of your family. Do they also have double chins, no matter how old or how heavy they are? If they do, you may be predisposed to fat accumulation in your chin.
  • Anatomy: Some people just have narrower jawlines, making it difficult to prevent a double chin. Also, even if your chin isn’t double, a weak jawline or chin might make it appear so.
  • Posture: Bad posture can lead to a variety of health and aesthetic issues. Slouchy posture can impair the neck and chin muscles, in addition to causing neck, back, and shoulder pain. These weakening muscles eventually contribute to sagging and weakened skin.

How to Get Rid of a Double Chin

No matter the reason behind your double chin, there are several different treatment options for it. Whether you want to make simple lifestyle changes or if you want a surgical solution, Silhouette does it all. 

Exercises for a Double Chin

When you search the Internet for how to get rid of a double chin, one of the first things you see is probably a recommendation to exercise. That makes sense, but what exercises will specifically target the chin? We list our favorites below.

  • Jut your jaw forward: Begin by leaning your head back and staring up towards the ceiling to do this exercise. Make a stretch beneath your chin by pushing your lower jaw forward. For around 10 seconds, stay in this position. Return to the starting position by relaxing. Every day, repeat 10-15 times.
  • Make a fish face: Suck air into your cheeks and lips to make a face that resembles a fish mouth for this workout. For around 5-10 seconds, stay in this position. Rest and repeat as many times as possible.
  • Stretch the neck: Sit nicely and move your neck to the right gently while maintaining the posture. Return to the neutral position and raise your gaze. Return to the relaxed position and lower your gaze to your upper chest, attempting to contact it with your chin. Every day, repeat the complete cycle 5-10 times.
  • Ball exercise: Conveniently sit or stand. Place a tiny squeezable ball beneath your chin and squeeze it. Press the ball with your chin gradually. Rep 15-20 times more.
  • Blow air: Place yourself in a comfortable position. Take a look up at the ceiling. Blow air out of your mouth while keeping your lips closed. Do this for about 15-20 seconds, then relax and do it again as many times as you can.
  • Mouthpieces: Certain mouthpieces exist that help to exercise the jaw. Many of them both stimulate muscle growth and burn fat in the area around the chin.

Diet and Exercise for a Double Chin

A poor diet and sedentary lifestyle might be the cause of your face fat and double chin. Because it is impossible to reduce fat from specific areas of the body, focus on general health by eating fruits and vegetables rather than junk meals. Regular exercise, such as aerobics, weight training, and other activities will help you stay in shape and decrease the appearance of a double chin.

Double Chin Treatments

Your double chin may remain in some situations, regardless of how healthy you are generally. Cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery therapies can help in this situation. These procedures will go after stubborn fat that no amount of exercise or dieting can get rid of.

Lipolysis

If you want to eliminate your double chin sooner, lipolysis treatments may be the way to go. Injection and laser are the two major forms of lipolysis therapies for double chin reduction. Injection lipolysis is a procedure that includes injecting a solution that metabolizes fat cells and reduces the appearance of a double chin. For the greatest outcomes, patients must undergo this therapy numerous times at 4-6 week intervals. Laser lipolysis is a non-invasive fat-melting procedure that uses heat energy from a laser to dissolve fat cells. Both operations are usually painless, however swelling, bruising, and discomfort are possible adverse effects.

Mesotherapy

Mesotherapy is similar to injectable lipolysis in that treatment requires injecting a solution called deoxycholic acid into resistant fat cells. The more common name is Kybella.  Mesotherapy, on the other hand, refers to injections into the mesoderm, while lipolysis refers to injections into fatty tissue. These fat-dissolving injections are separate from other cosmetic dermatology treatments like Botox and Juvederm.

Laser Treatment for a Double Chin

While laser therapy is frequently referred to as laser surgery, it is really a non-surgical technique that employs a directed laser to melt fat tissues beneath the skin. Laser treatments provide a number of advantages, including little downtime after the operation, the use of only a local anesthetic, and a short treatment duration.

Liposuction

Liposuction may be the best alternative for eliminating your double chin if you want rapid results and don’t fear undergoing minor surgery. It  is a simple one-hour treatment that may only involve local anesthetic to remove the fat beneath your chin. Following the operation, most patients experience bruising and swelling, but because it is only one surgery, the body heals fast, leaving patients with a freshly sculpted jawline.

Coolsculpting

This is another technique for minimizing your double chin. CoolSculpting for double chins is similar to laser lipolysis in that it freezes fat cells rather than melting them. The body gradually expels these dead fat cells, giving you a more sculpted chin. CoolSculpting can also be used to remove stubborn fat from other parts of the body, such as the belly, thighs, and back.

Double Chin Reduction

A double chin reduction is more of a combination of different techniques to reduce the size or appearance of the chin. Many plastic surgeons combine chin liposuction, neck lift surgery, or neck contouring all at once. 

Liposuction under the chin, also known as double chin liposuction, is a treatment that removes extra fat from behind the chin. The extra skin removal and tightening of the neck muscles to give the face a more contoured and sculpted appearance is known as a neck lift, sometimes called a lower rhytidectomy. In contrast, a submentoplasty combines chin liposuction with tiny chin incisions targeted for strengthening the neck muscles.

Double Chin Surgery

A double chin can be removed by a number of treatments performed by plastic surgeons. The following are some of the solutions for how to get rid of a double chin.

  • Liposuction: This treatment sculpts the chin and neck shape by removing fat from beneath the skin. A tiny incision is made beneath the skin, a tube is inserted, and the fat is sucked out. Liposuction usually just necessitates the use of a local anesthetic to numb the general region.
  • Face lift: A face lift procedure helps surgeons to remove fat and sagging skin from the chin and neck, resulting in the removal of a double chin. Although a local anesthetic can be used, most individuals are asleep under general anesthesia.
  • Neck lift: Different kinds of neck lift procedures seek to enhance the shape of the neck and chin by removing excess skin (cervicoplasty) or tightening neck muscles (platysmaplasty). Doctors frequently combine this surgery with a conventional facelift, which might result in a tight feeling in the neck for several months.

Contact Silhouette Plastic Surgery Today

If you’re looking for a solution as to how to get rid of a double chin, Silhouette Plastic Surgery is here to help. Our experienced, knowledgeable, and highly-trained staff stand ready to help you achieve your dream appearance. To schedule an appointment with a qualified board certified plastic surgeon, please call 949-359-8397 or fill out our online intake form today.