What Can Be Done To Get Rid Of My Double Chin?

Q: I am 5’7″ and weigh 128 lbs. Even though I am relatively thin, I have always had a double chin for some reason. But I feel like it has gotten worse since I have given birth to two children and have gained over 40 lbs with each pregnancy.  I am interested in knowing what could be done and how much improvement I could expect. Getting rid of this double chin would help me feel more confident. Thank you so much for your time.

A: The cause of a  ‘double chin’ is a combination of three anatomic factors; neck fat, neck skin, and chin projection/prominence. Every double chin is made up of differing ratios of all three components. It is always about how much neck fat is there, how much extra neck skin there is, and how short one’s chin may be. While you didn’t state your age, that number also has an influence because it suggests how much neck skin you may have and, most importantly, how elastic it is.

Some double chins can be corrected by as simple a procedure as neck liposuction in someone who is young and with decent chin projection. On the flip side, an ‘older’ severe double chin may require everything including neck liposuction, chin augmentation, and some form of a necklift to help tighten the extra loose skin. Each patient must be assessed individually and a custom treatment plan devised as double chin correction is not a one size fits all procedure.

One surprising aspect to the ideal correction of double chin problems is that of the chin. Many people have short chins that are magnified by this problem. Lengthening the jawline with a chin implant while bringing the angle of the neck back (or making it more defined) is the classic ‘ying and yang’ approach which together makes a better result than either change alone.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis Indiana