What Are My Options For Double Chin Correction?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in double chin correction. Attached you will find some pictures that I took–today during my lunch break! Looking at me straight on, at a flattering angle, you can tell I have a round face but the double chin isn’t noticeable. When I smile widely, laugh, or am viewed from my profile, it is clearly evident. What are my treatment options? Will liposuction alone work as another doctor told me? Let me know your thoughts!

A: Thank you for sending your pictures. While there is certainly some subcutaneous fat to liposuction, that will give you a modest improvement only. Necks like yours almost always have a subplatysmal collection of fat in the midline that will not be changed by liposuction. This requires a submentoplasty technique to maximally tighten the neck angle. You also have a bit of a horizontally short rounder chin. This adds a third factor to the double chin appearance. Adding a small central button style chin implant will add a little more horizontal projection and change the frontal chin shape to more of a tapered chin look.

In conclusion, it is all about the degree of double chin correction you are seeking.Liposuction alone will produce a modest improvement, a submentoplasty (which includes neck liposuction) will make a good change and the final addition of a chin implant will make the best overall double chin correction. As you can see neck liposuction is the most basic approach but does not produce the best double chin correction.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana