Kybella: My experience, what it's all about and why I'm choosing to do it as part of my plan to look my best at 50 with Contempo Asthetics in Pasadena.

While I was having the second of my three Velashape 3 sessions I was multi tasking prepping for my first round of Kybella. When Dr. Rachel told me about Kybella during my first consultation I wasn't completely sold to be honest. As we discussed my areas of concern I was taken back by all the options she presented me, I didn't know I would have so many choices. 

I've always had a bit of extra fat deposit under my chin. It fluctuates in size with my weight and is hereditary in my family. With interest peaked I hit the web, read several articles and watched videos of patients receiving Kybella. I was happily surprised to learn about the amazing results being had, the patient satisfaction level (which is over 90%), lack of pain and the minimal down time involved. I decided to trust Dr. Rachel's recommendation and go forth with it.

The excitement of loosing the puffiness under my chin for good was a huge deciding factor, almost seams too good to be true. So here's what you can expect if considering Kybella and if it's something for you. 

What is Kybella?

It is an FDA approved man made form of a substance your body makes that helps to absorb fats. Deoxycholic acid works by destroying fat cells where it is injected into the body. It's purpose, to improve the appearance of the extra fullness or fat under the chin area. Kybella has only been approved for use in this area. Results are not immediate and additional treatment(s) may be required to get desired results.

Pre appointment info/prep:

• You should not be pregnant or nursing
• Have a history of bleeding disorders or an infection in the area to be treated
• Take Ibuprofen the morning of your treatment (if tolerated)
• Report any issues you have with Lidocaine or Epinephrine
• Inform your Dr. if you are currently taking any blood thinners or Aspirin.

What to expect during your treatment:

• The area will be numbed with Lidocaine which is a topical cream. It is allowed to work for approximately 15-20 min.
• The area is mapped out with a pencil and a graph is transferred onto the area to insure equal injection points.
• The process is very fast and I would classify it as painless with the level being a 1-2 out of 10.
• If you are squirmy at the sight of needles, you won't see what's happening.
• Typical amount of Kybella used is 2-3 syringes/ between 1-3 sessions depending on the person.
• Recovery varies per patient, the younger the patient the faster the healing has been the trend.

Post treatment care/ what to expect the first few days after your treatment

• Use the provided neck strap for 3 days & at night till the swelling is controlled.
• Use an ice pack during the first 12 hours, icing for 15 minutes per hour as needed.
• Do Not massage the injection area.  
• Avoid heavy exercise the day of the treatment and 24 hours post treatment.
• Avoid extreme heat during the first 24 hours post treatment

My personal experience

During the first half of the injections (I got 18 injection points in total- used 2 1/4 syringes ) I felt nothing, no prick of the needle, nothing. The second half I started to get the heat sensation from the product being injected, it was super minimal like a 1-2 on a chart of 10. The entire process was over in about 5 minutes.

Researching the procedure prepared me mentally, the only unknown for me was how much swelling to expect. I kept picturing a huge mass but in all honestly it swelled to a little over two times what my actual chin size was and stabilized (no further swelling) within several hours.

The redness from the injections points were gone quite fast and I only used the ice pack maybe a total of 3-4 times. There was just no pain afterwards to even mention. I have to credit the lack of tenderness and bruising/redness to Dr. Rachel's injection abilities. The syringe is inserted a 1/4 inch into the skin, there was no trace of any entrance points, I'm super impressed.

When is a good time to get Kybella considering everything involved? 

I'd say if you have a long weekend with no plans, that would be perfect. The area swells up pretty fast so I wouldn't do this on a lunch break or before a big evening out on the town. The swelling goes away in about a week to the original pre treatment size. It takes about 4-6 weeks in total for the injections to completely run their course and for the full benefits to be achieved. 

After 24 hours post treatment, I'm already seeing a great improvement in the swelling and redness. I'm very excited to see the final results and would totally recommend this to anyone who is looking to rid themselves of this troublesome area without going through the more extreme procedures like Liposuction or a neck lift.

If this is something you are considering, contact Contempo Aesthetics and schedule a free consultation via the button below.