Dr. Menachof, MD, FACS has performed thousands of facial plastic surgery procedures in over 20 years of experience. He has been recognized as a Fellow by multiple academies, named one of America’s Top Facial Plastic Surgeons continually since 2003 and is featured in multiple national publications.
Many people believe that weight gain and aging affect whether or not we have double chins. While excess fat and aging contribute to neck aesthetics, genetics plays a bigger role in the fat distribution to different areas of the body.
When people refer to the fat beneath the chin, they often call it a “double chin.” The double chin, or submental fat, consists of superficial fat above the platysma muscle and subcutaneous fat below the platysma. People of all ages can have a double chin, no matter their activity level or lifestyle. Double chins are often inherited and are the results of jaw bone structure and a person’s natural fat pads.
This band of fat below the neck is a complaint of many patients – luckily, there are many options for how to get rid of neck fat.
Surgical Treatments
How to get rid of a double chin? Surgery is the most effective option for patients looking to treat a double chin. The following facial surgeries can balance the facial aesthetic – consult an experienced surgeon to help determine the best option for you.
Chin Liposuction
Liposuction is the direct removal of fat in the body. Neck liposuction is a quick and simple procedure to remove excess chin fat.
In this procedure, a plastic surgeon will suction out the unwanted fat via a cannula tube through minor incisions on the neck. This procedure can be done under local anesthesia, and the recovery time is minimal. Patients typically wear a chin strap for two days following the surgery to minimize swelling.
Patients who have loose neck skin or sagging necks will not benefit from the removal of neck fat – the skin will hang down even more. However, if neck liposuction is combined with a neck lift, the patient will have a better outcome.
Facelift and Necklift
Patients who have double chins due to sagging neck skin are good candidates for a facelift or neck lift. This procedure is the most extensive but is also the most effective way to permanently get rid of a double chin.
The difference between a facelift and neck lift is the patient’s desire to correct jowls and the cheek area. Both of these procedures will lift and tighten the skin under the chin and around the neck and will reduce the double chin.
If you are looking for how to tighten neck skin, a facelift or neck lift is the best double chin surgery option for you.
Chin Implant
Patients who have double chins due to a small chin may qualify for a chin implant.
A chin implant can make the chin more proportionate to other facial features. It will improve the definition of the neck and jawline and will reduce the prominence of the double chin. Consult a plastic surgeon to see if you qualify for a chin implant.
Nonsurgical Treatment is Not the Solution
There are no nonsurgical solutions for double chin removal. Unfortunately, neck exercises do not get rid of a double chin – they will only strengthen the neck muscles. Spot reduction, or losing weight in a certain spot, is not real. The human body will lose weight in an even manner throughout the entire body.
The best way for how to lose neck fat is to exercise all areas of the body regularly. There is a good chance that chin fat will diminish, along with excess fat from other areas of your body. But, if you are exercising and are not seeing results, consider surgical treatment for double chin removal.
Speak with an experienced surgeon to help determine the appropriate solution for you!
This blog was originally posted in May of 2018 and has been reposted in 2022 with updated information.
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