When it comes to that dreaded double chin and everything that goes with it, New York facial plastic surgeon Lee Ann M. Klausner, MD says there are several solutions that can solve it—no overcomplication required.
“Submental fat is best removed by submental liposuction and, historically, plastic surgeons might have to combine this procedure with a necklift in patients 40 and over, depending on extent of submental fat and quality of skin,” she explains. “In younger patients, submental liposuction alone would suffice, as we can count on the younger patient skin’s natural recoil ability to contract and reveal the improved neck contour.”
“When the skin’s elasticity is not as good as with older patients, submental liposuction alone might leave the patient with less fat but a lot of loose skin, hence the need for a necklift at the same time.”
While the secret might not be totally under-the-radar, Dr. Klausner points to marked improvement in minimally invasive procedures, which, in many cases, directly affects patients in their 40s, 50s and, in some cases, their 60s who may not want to entertain the facelift route.
“Accutite and Facetite with Morpheus radio-frequency microneedling can be used with submental liposuction in the office under local anesthesia to reduce submental fat and tighten the neck skin. Results are very good for the patient who seeks improvement in neck contour without scars of a necklift,” she explains, adding that patients have no post-procedure pain, but may experience some moderate swelling and bruising, which resolves in approximately seven days.
“There will most likely be minimal swelling and signs of bruising fully resolving from day seven to ten. We ask patients to wear a compressive sling like they would wear after a facelift or necklift for about five days, and then at night for up to ten days. Patients feel well enough to work from home the next day and return to exercise by day three-to-five.”
Plus, Dr. Klausner points out, with work from home and mask-wearing, most patients feel they can recover under- the-radar.
For patients looking for a completely noninvasive route, she also recommends Evoke—in a series of three-to-four treatments, spaced a month apart—which she describes as a “completely noninvasive, hands-free and pain-free treatment that uses radio-frequency energy to effectively reduced submental fat.”
“The treatment allows us to perform ‘facial remodeling.’ We use heat for 25 minutes to achieve skin-tightening, 45 to achieve fat redistribution. Normally, we preserve fat in the face, but under the chin is a popular area for fat loss and it can be customized to every patient. It was made because of the ‘selfie movement’—people put their face in an app to bring their cheeks in and slim their chin before posting photos of themselves on social media and the treatment targets these areas to improve facial contours.”
Sponsored by Lee Ann M. Klausner, MD
