New Procedure Eliminates Fat Under Chin

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Have you've ever looked in a 3-way mirror or seen your profile in a picture and you thought, "That's not me! My chin doesn't look like that!"

Now, you can do something about it. A brand new procedure is being done in Pittsburgh to melt away the fat under your chin.

It's called Kybella. Plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Leong with Ideal Facial and Plastic Surgery in Pittsburgh is one of the first to get Kybella.

"Its scientific name is actually dioxycholic acid," he says, "and it was recently FDA approved to treat submental fat," which is the fat under the chin... also known as a double chin. One study found 2/3 of consumers were bothered by fat under the chin -- men and women -- so there's definitely a demand, and it is one area that's really hard to target with just diet and exercise.

Dr. Leong explains that the medicine is very similar to a naturally occurring compound in our bodies that breaks down the fat we eat in food.

"When you inject the Kybella into that area over a series of weeks, it plays a similar role," he says. "It breaks down those fat cells by causing them to sort of shrink up, shrivel up and go away."

Kim Pershina, who works in Dr. Leong's office, was excited to try it.

"As I approached 50, I started getting fat that starts going down," she says. "Gravity's not your friend. And all the selfies I take now -- I kind of get this pudge here, and I'm just not fond of it."

Here's how the process happens.

First, Dr. Leong rubs on these temporary tattoos that will indicate where to inject the medicine. "These markings have been evenly distributed, so they're the same distance apart because you want to inject the Kybella evenly," he explains.

Then Dr. Leong injects a numbing agent to decrease any pain. After that, Dr. Leong injects Kybella in the areas where the fat will be dissolved.

Kim says it stings and burns just a little. This cool compress helps keep the swelling down. One week after Kim's second injection, you could see a little swelling but not much. But beware -- some people do experience extreme swelling... what's called the "bullfrog" effect. Kim did not, in part because of a low-dose steroid Dr. Leong prescribed in advance.

"If this is what it takes to get rid of that for the rest of my life, I'm happy with that," Kim says.

The before and after photos taken by Kybella in the medical trial show how dramatic the change can be after three to four treatment sessions, six weeks apart.

Kim just started her treatment but is already seeing some results, six weeks after the first injection... earlier than expected. "I thought it was just me, thinking I look thinner, but in the pictures I did see a little improvement, and for the first session, that's hopeful," she says.

Kybella costs about $3,000 - $6,000 altogether. Like most plastic surgery, it's not covered by insurance.

It won't work for everyone. Your skin has to be tight enough to shrink back when the fat is removed. Otherwise it will just hang, and that would require surgery to fix.

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