An astonishing 80% of adults sought non-invasive cosmetic treatments in 2018. One of the most commonly sought aesthetic services was Kybella, an injectable fat removal treatment that is FDA-approved to reverse submental fullness. Today, our aesthetic experts at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA, discuss everything you need to know about this highly effective body contouring treatment.
For all intents and purposes, the results from Kybella last a lifetime. Once you reach the age of 25, your body can’t produce new fat cells; this means that once this injectable destroys the fat cell walls, the fat cells are gone for good.
Nevertheless, if you are seeking this injectable to treat submental fullness, also known as a double chin, you may need a follow-up treatment. This is because submental fullness sometimes is caused by factors other than excess fat.
For instance, genetics is known to play a role in the appearance of a double chin sometimes. Furthermore, poor posture, such as looking down at your phone or a book for several hours daily, can lead to submental fullness. Advanced age is another potential cause of a double chin. Be advised, it is possible to have a double chin due to excess fat now and develop submental fullness due to skin inelasticity or poor posture in the future.
Additionally, it is possible to require a follow-up treatment in the future if you gain an extreme amount of weight. This treatment does not destroy every fat cell in the chin and neck. It is possible to store excess energy in the remaining fat cells in the chin and neck if you operate at a caloric surplus.
Kybella is most often sought to destroy excess fat cells beneath the chin. As a matter of fact, the FDA approved this injectable for the safe, effective removal of excess chin fat in April 2015. Simultaneously, the FDA approved this treatment for the elimination of undesired neck fat. What’s great about this injectable is it also eliminates horizontal neckbands.
You may see the final results of your treatment within four to six weeks of your injection session. Unlike liposuction, this non-invasive treatment does not involve the suctioning out of excess fat cells. Therefore, you have to wait for your cardiovascular and lymphatic systems to work together to pick up the destroyed fat cells, process them, and flush them out of your body.
Note, not even liposuction provides results that are apparent immediately. While lipo removes some of the excess fat cells during the procedure, your skin may not settle into its new position for six months or longer. Most people don’t see the results of liposuction for at least six to eight weeks.
If you want to see your final results as quickly as possible, you should support your lymphatic system’s efficiency as your top priority. A masseuse who is certified to give lymphatic massages can help you improve the efficiency of your lymphatic system. This type of massage is designed to drain lymph that is currently stuck in your body so new lymph and destroyed fat cells can be drained more efficiently.
Eating a nutritious diet will also go a long way in helping your lymphatic system operate at peak efficiency. Furthermore, you should make it a point to minimize your consumption of processed foods.
Your lymphatic system has to work extremely hard to flush out the artificial chemical compounds present in processed foods. This reduces its efficiency drastically. On the other hand, it is very easy for your lymphatic system to process clean fuel from whole foods so it can focus on eliminating the fat cells destroyed during your Kybella treatment.
The average person only needs between two and four treatment sessions to enjoy their ideal contours. However, you should be aware that this applies to individuals who have submental fullness due to a large amount of excess fat. If you have a bit of loose skin and fat causing the appearance of a double chin, you may be only one quick injection session away from the profile of your dreams.
The average treatment session takes roughly a third of an hour to finish. Nevertheless, individual treatments vary. The number of doses that need to be administered will affect how long your session takes. If you are only trying to eliminate chin fat, and you’re not worried about bands of neck fat, your session may only take 10 or 15 minutes.
Additionally, if you only have a small amount of excess fat, we won’t need to administer as many doses. This will also decrease your treatment length. We can give you a better idea of how much time you should allow for your appointment during your initial evaluation.
No, this non-invasive fat removal treatment will not hurt at all. We use a tiny needle to administer the prescription drug. Therefore, you will only feel a bit of pressure as the medication is administered. Advise us during your initial consultation on whether you would prefer to not feel the needle at all. We will happily accommodate your personal preference by numbing your skin before the injections are administered.
Just bear in mind that your session will take several minutes longer if your skin is numbed before treatment. Furthermore, you should keep in mind that NSAIDs should be avoided during the first two days after your injections to prevent your blood from thinning.
There is minimal preparation required in advance of your injection session. The best things you can do to prepare for your injectable fat removal treatment are to drink at least two cups of a hydrating liquid and eat a small, nutritious meal or snack before your session. Both hydration and micronutrients are essential for the health of your skin and the efficiency of your lymphatic system.
Eating and drinking before your session will hasten the final results of your treatment. Additionally, it is advisable to wash your neck and face thoroughly before you come in for your session. Moreover, it is advisable to come in without any cosmetics. If you wear cosmetics to your appointment, they will be removed before the treatment areas are sanitized in preparation for your session.
You don’t have to do too much during your post-injection recovery process. Since Kybella isn’t invasive, there is no downtime required following your injection session. You will not need to take any time off from work. As a matter of fact, people often schedule this treatment during their lunch break, so they don’t have to choose between missing out on family time or work.
During the first 24 hours following your treatment session, you should avoid consuming too much caffeine, sodium, or spicy foods. For the first 48 hours after your injection session, you should avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption. If you are sensitive to caffeine, do not consume over 65 mg.
On the other hand, you should limit your daily caffeine intake to 200 mg if you drink caffeinated beverages and take caffeinated medication regularly. Regardless of how much caffeine you can consume before your blood pressure is affected, make sure you’re staying hydrated. Dehydration will slow your lymphatic system to a crawl.
Yes, you should engage in gentle exercise following your Kybella injections. However, you should check in with yourself occasionally to ensure you are not exercising too intensely. During the first 24 hours following your treatment, strenuous exercise should be avoided as it may elevate your blood pressure and cause excessive sweating.
According to the CDC and ACSM, vigorous activity is defined as activity over 6.0 METs. A MET, or metabolic equivalent of task, is the ratio between the energy required to perform an activity and the energy expenditure rate at rest. For the fastest possible results, you should aim for moderate activity (3.0 to 6.0 METs). Examples of moderate-intensity exercise include:
If your exercise is moderate, you should be able to sing. If your exercise is intense, you should be able to have a conversation but not sing.
To find out if this treatment is right for you, schedule an initial consultation. Generally, you will qualify for this non-invasive fat removal treatment if you are an adult in fairly good health who can’t achieve his or her desired contours through diet and exercise alone. Furthermore, you can benefit from this treatment if your submental fullness is caused by advanced age, genetics, or poor posture.
This treatment is not right for you if you are currently nursing or pregnant. Furthermore, you should hold off on this course of fat removal treatments if you are trying to become pregnant. If you have just stopped nursing, wait until you have not nursed for at least six weeks before you consider this treatment. It takes a great deal of energy to nurse, and it also takes a lot of energy for your lymphatic system to flush out the fat cells destroyed during this treatment.
Furthermore, this treatment may not be right for you if you are not confident you can maintain your weight after your course of fat removal injections. To reiterate, when you operate at a caloric surplus, you can store excess energy anywhere. This includes the fat cells that remain in the chin and neck after your course of treatments is complete. Finally, your medical history and current health will help us determine whether this treatment is right for you.
Kybella provides permanent fat removal, but your contours may still change as you age. Additionally, this highly effective treatment is incredibly efficient. The fat cells destroyed during this course of treatments will never be replaced, and a maintenance session will only be necessary if your submental fullness is caused by genetics. Contact us today at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA schedule your initial consultation and discover if this injectable fat removal treatment is right for you.
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