Kybella or Chin Lipo?
With Kybella making headlines left and right as the new FDA approved non-invasive chin fat reduction procedure, all eyes are on the future of the wattle. Before you call your trusted cosmetic surgeon to get in line for the fat melting injections, let’s break down the key differences between the hot new trend Kybella and old faithful chin liposuction.
Downtime
The immediate draw of Kybella is that it is not surgery, but rather a series of injections. No anesthesia, no leaking wounds, and little downtime. However what will the downtime look like? Expect to need up to six rounds of injections over a few month period. The injections cause redness, swelling, bruising, and hardness. You will have to decide if you prefer a one and done treatment like chin lipo, which also involves a couple weeks of recovery or five separate appointments over the course of a few months, with each appointment resulting in some injection reactions.
Based on the data available it seems as though you would see your results in roughly the same timeframe. It just depends if you would prefer multiple appointments or one big one.
Cost
According to RealSelf users, the average cost of chin liposuction is $2,500. This does not include side costs such as medications, compression garments, etc. The estimated cost of Kybella is $650 for 50 injections. You can expect to get up to 50 injections at up to 5 separate appointments, which costs upwards of $3,250. You may need less injections, which would bring the cost down, but expect the cost of Kybella to be similar or more than chin lipo.
Risk
Everyone dreads needing to apply to an upcoming season of Botched. The risks of chin lipo are what you would expect- necrotic tissue, uneven fat removal, infection, hard lumps leftover, etc. The risks of Kybella include improper injection leading to tissue damage outside of the treatment area (think skin, muscle, fascia, bone) as well as those risks related to liposuction. Not choosing the right doctor is a risk for any cosmetic treatment, but consider it to be a little higher with Kybella. Because it is such a new treatment most doctors will not have years of experience injecting Kybella like they do with performing chin lipo.
Treatment area
Kybella is approved solely for the removal of fat underneath the chin. If you have sagging skin in this area Kybella will not fix it, only surgical intervention will. Because chin lipo is already surgical it is easy for a cosmetic surgeon to also tighten the loose skin at the same time. If you have excess skin in your jowl area you may want to remove Kybella from your short list in an effort to get your best results possible.
Still not sure which is better for you?
Consult with a trusted facial cosmetic surgeon (or two or three). While you may like the idea of injections over surgery, you may not get the results you are expecting. On the other hand, you may be the perfect candidate for Kybella.