A double chin, also known as submental fat, is a common condition that
occurs when a layer of fat forms below your chin. A double chin is often
associated with weight gain, but you don’t have to be overweight to
have one. Genetics or looser skin resulting from aging may also cause a
double chin.
If you have a double chin and want to get rid of it, there are several things you can do.
Exercises that target a double chin
While there’s no scientific evidence that chin exercises work to get rid of your double chin, there’s anecdotal evidence.
Here
are six exercises that may help strengthen and tone the muscles and
skin in the area of your double chin. Unless otherwise indicated, repeat
each exercise daily 10 to 15 times.
1. Straight jaw jut
- Tilt your head back and look toward the ceiling.
- Push your lower jaw forward to feel a stretch under the chin.
- Hold the jaw jut for a 10 count.
- Relax your jaw and return your head to a neutral position.
2. Ball exercise
- Place a 9- to10-inch ball under your chin.
- Press your chin down against the ball.
- Repeat 25 times daily.
3. Pucker up
- With your head tilted back, look at the ceiling.
- Pucker your lips as if you’re kissing the ceiling to stretch the area beneath your chin.
- Stop puckering and bring your head back to its normal position.
4. Tongue stretch
- Looking straight ahead, stick your tongue out as far as you can.
- Lift your tongue upward and toward your nose.
- Hold for 10 seconds and release.
5. Neck stretch
- Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling.
- Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and release.
6. Bottom jaw jut
- Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling.
- Turn your head to the right.
- Slide your bottom jaw forward.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and release.
- Repeat the process with your head turned to the left.
Treatments for a double chin
If
your double chin is caused by genetics, tightening up the area with
exercise may help. It’s unclear whether weight loss will help. In this
case, your doctor may recommend invasive procedures such as:
Lipolysis
Also
known as liposculpture, lipolysis uses liposuction or heat from a laser
to melt away fat and contour the skin. In most cases, a local
anesthetic is all that’s needed during lipolysis to treat a double chin.
Lipolysis only treats fat. It doesn’t remove excess skin or increase skin’s elasticity. Side effects of lipolysis may include:
- swelling
- bruising
- pain
Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy
is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers small amounts of
fat-dissolving compounds through a series of injections.
In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration approved deoxycholic acid , an injectable drug used in mesotherapy. Deoxycholic acid helps your body absorb fats.
It
may take 20 or more injections of deoxycholic acid per treatment to
treat a double chin. You can have up to six treatments total. You must
wait at least one month between treatments.
Deoxycholic acid may
cause serious nerve damage if injected improperly. Only a dermatologist
or a doctor with plastic surgery experience who is knowledgeable about
the drug should perform these injections.
Potential side effects of deoxycholic acid and other mesotherapy injectables include:
- swelling
- bruising
- pain
- numbness
- redness