A new drug known as ATX-101 could offer a non-surgical method for double chin reduction. Clinical investigators say the drug could reduce submental fat beneath the chin, creating better definition of the lower face.
According to KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, the maker of ATX-101, 80 percent of participants in studies experienced significant reduction of chin fat after the first two years of the five-year trial.
â??Treatment results with ATX-101 appear to be sustained and well-tolerated, which illustrates its potential as a novel, non-surgical approach to reducing submental fat,â? said Kevin C. Smith, a Canadian dermatologist who was an investigator in Phase 2A and long-term follow up studies.
ATX-101 is a formulation of deoxycholate, which is a natural compound that breaks down dietary fat.
The procedure is done over several sessions, during which the patient gets around 50 small injections of the treatment into the chin area. The injections are said to eliminate fat beneath the skinâ??s surface.
While these results are still preliminary, they support our expectation that ATX-101 may result in a long-term aesthetic correction, said KYTHERAâ??s chief medical officer Patricia Walker, MD, PhD.
Cosmetic Surgery for Resculpting a Double Chin
Traditional approaches to double chin reduction include neck lift surgery and neck liposuction.
During a neck lift, the skin is lifted and muscle tissue is removed as necessary to make the transition between the chin, neck and lower face more defined.
Neck liposuction gets rid of the persistent fatty tissue residing below the chin, and is a less invasive option than a neck lift.
Dr. Jonov is a cosmetic surgeon who specializes in plastic surgeries of the face, breast, and body at Seattle Plastic Surgery.
