What is Kybella®?
Deoxycholic acid (DAO), best known as Kybella®, is an injected medication that was FDA-approved in 2015 for reducing fat below the chin. Deoxycholic acid is naturally found in the body and works like a detergent. When injected into the fat tissue, it disrupts the cell membrane of the fat cell causing it to die. Once the fat cells burst, it triggers local inflammation to help clear out the debris left by the dead fat cell, resulting in reduction of fat pad under the chin.
In most clinical studies, patients have undergone a minimum of 2-3 treatments in a one-month interval to observe any improvement. While efficacy varies depending on the studies, overall, about half of the patients will report improvement of 10% reduction of fat volume after 6 or fewer treatments.
Does Kybella® Have Side Effects?
There are risks associated with deoxycholic acid treatment to improve the fullness of the neck. The most common side effects are swelling, pain at the treatment site, and some numbness. Because deoxycholic acid can also damage the tissues other than fat, it can cause damage to surrounding structures such as skin, muscle, or the nerves if some of the medication get near these structures.
In an ideal candidate, deoxycholic acid injection is an effective and safe treatment option for fat reduction of the neck. In addition to deoxycholic acid injection, there are several other options for neck contouring, such as CoolSculpting®, and each treatment offers its comparative advantages and disadvantages.
We recommend that the patients who are interested in deoxycholic acid injection seek consultation to explore all treatment options to determine which procedure is the ideal option for them, given their unique anatomy, expectations, medical profile, and risk factors.
Double Board-certified Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Sang W. Kim at Natural Face™ Clinics specializes in aesthetic enhancement of the face, head, and neck, exclusively. Patients come to see us from the Syracuse metropolitan area and Central New York area, including Ithaca and Rochester. At Natural Face™ Clinics, we specialize in restoring the youthful neck contour, tired appearance of the brows and eyes, and skin laxity. We offer customized treatments, both surgical and non-surgical. Find out more by scheduling your personal consultation today.