Chin Liposuction For Excess Fat Removal

Chin liposuction is a small amount of liposuction performed right under the chin. In some patients, that area can accumulate fat deposits that do not often go away even when a patient loses weight. In most cases, the reason is simply their genetics. There are a variety of exercises people do to lose fat under the chin from wearing a chin support to stretching exercises. These exercises do not usually work because either the patient is a little bit overweight or they carry weight there naturally due to genetics. Chin liposuction actually removes the fat cells and causes the muscle to tighten. The skin is also tightened under the chin which helps define the jawline. The operation removes the fat from the lower part of the ear all the way to the chin. Usually, doctors do not just perform the procedure under the chin. They also remove fat along the jawline and under the jawline up towards the ear.

Am I a Good Candidate for Chin Liposuction?

Patients who are GOOD CANDIDATES are:

• People in their late teenage years who need jaw surgery to correct their bite as well as the removal of fat deposits via liposuction.
• Patients in their 60s or 70s who want fat deposits removed under the chin and along the jaw with liposuction. They will get some skin tightening with liposuction but not enough to overcome the amount of loose skin they have because of their age. Instead, they might get a facelift or a neck lift along with the chin liposuction.
• Patients with good skin elasticity.

Patients who are NOT GOOD CANDIDATES include:

• Those who are looking for more dramatic results provided by a facelift or other surgical skin tightening procedures
• Patients with skin that is very tight and not very elastic
• Patients who have lax muscles and extra skin

How is Chin Liposuction Performed?

At the beginning of the surgery, the doctor will inject lidocaine to numb the area as well as a vasoconstrictor, such as epinephrine, into the fat to reduce the amount of pain and bleeding. The surgeon will then make two small incisions before inserting a cannula into the incisions. The cannula is used to suction out the desired amount of fat and fluid.

With chin liposuction, there is an incision behind each earlobe and another incision just under the chin. The scars from these incisions are very small and normally don’t require any stitches put in them. In patients that have a lot of fat, the chin incision will be a little bigger in order to get to the fat below the muscle. Working with patients with a lot of fat usually requires a combination of liposuction with direct fat excision. This combination can cause a bigger scar but it allows the doctor to suture the muscles together under the chin while making the chin neckline look tighter.

Advantages over Other Techniques

There are different techniques that use lasers that give off heat and ultrasonic waves as well as freeze the fat cells. There are different mechanisms to try and get rid of that fat through an absorbing process. However, the advantage of chin liposuction is that it does not require the body to absorb the fat.

Treatments like Kybella are injected and the body has to absorb the fat. They break the fat down with deoxycholic acid and it gets filtered through the body while requiring multiple treatments to get the desired results. The same is true with techniques that freeze the fat such as CoolSculpting. Liposuction gives the surgeon the ability to directly contour the treated area so the patient immediately sees results. It provides a greater degree of control as well as more drastic results immediately.

What is the Cost of Chin Liposuction?

The cost of chin liposuction varies according to the amount of fat being removed from the chin area. The price also depends on fees charged by the doctor or the facility and the area of the country where the surgery is performed. Overall, the average price is $2000-$4000.

Recovery and Downtime

The RECOVERY from chin liposuction is not very painful. The patient has to wear a support bandage under the neck and around the head to help reduce bruising and swelling. The bandage also supports the skin under the chin so it will not sag as it shrinks down to a new contour. Patients must wear that for the first few days and then, only at night, for the next two or three days. Most people can go back to work in about three to five days of DOWNTIME.

Results

Fat cells are removed permanently following chin liposuction. If someone gains an additional 50 pounds after surgery, they are going to gain fat all over their body and they will gain fat under their chin proportionally. The fat will still be less than what it would be if they did not have the surgery. Thankfully, it does not come back specifically in the treated area.

The recovery is fast and the final results save a lot of patients from having a neck lift or facelift. This can be considered a preventative measure to the neck lift because it creates a scar layer into the skin and tightens the skin. The scar is not visible because it is below the skin.

Limitations of Chin Liposuction

Limitations of chin liposuction include:

• The amount of dramatic results it can provide since it is a limited amount of liposuction being performed on the chin
• The ability to have the procedure is limited by the amount of patient skin elasticity
• Chin liposuction is a surgical procedure so it is limited to only patients who are willing to have a surgical procedure

Risks of Chin Liposuction

Some commons risks of chin liposuction are:

• Damage to deeper structures
• Burns
• Asymmetry in the results
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Infection
• Injury to the sensory nerve as well as the nerve that moves the face
• Numbness

Restoring Self-Esteem

Chin liposuction is a very satisfying operation for patients because of the immediate results. It makes most patients extremely happy because they can see the results right away. Chin liposuction gives patients better self-esteem, pride in their appearance and more confidence in front of others.

Consult With A Doctor

Patients interested in having the procedure should consult with a board-certified doctor to determine if chin liposuction is the right choice to achieve their desired results. Find a doctor near you and schedule a consultation.

Written by Cosmetic Town Editorial Team - MA

Based on an exclusive interview with Randolph Robinson, MD in Lone Tree, CO