For individuals who just do not like their double chin, submental liposuction may be the answer. This surgical procedure has helped thousands of people to improve the appearance of their neck and chin area over the years.

Chin liposuction or submental liposuction is removing and reshaping the fat under the chin to give a leaner and more attractive shape to the neck and face.

Many people carry a disproportionate amount of fat in their necks, so that they look like they are more overweight than they really are. There are even some thin people with pronounced double chins. As the fat under the chin builds, it can obscure the lower border of the jaw, so that the natural border between the face and neck gets lost. It is very important for there to be a visual distinction between neck and face, and submental liposuction helps to restore that border. Whether in men or women, our beauty, weight, fitness, and energy level are perceived to a great degree by the shape of the neck, which is why submental liposuction is so commonly done.

Submental liposuction is best performed on patients who present with a fatty double chin or otherwise heavy neck area. For these patients, submental liposuction can have truly incredible results. However, patients who present with loose skin or very minimal chin fat would likely benefit from an alternative procedure. During your initial consultation, our specialist will be able to let you know which option is right for you.

Children and adolescents have full necks. When an adult removes fat in their neck they will typically not look younger; they should be doing it to look thinner and more vigorous. It can also make a man more handsome or a woman more attractive, though not specifically by virtue of making them look younger. In all of plastic surgery, it is important to recognize that removing fat makes one thinner and often not younger. It is skin removal procedures (eg facelift, beast lift, tummy tuck) that specifically tightens and rejuvenates.

Submental liposuction would make muscles in the neck more visible rather than less visible. It is indeed the fat that most helps to conceal the muscles. The very risk of the muscles becoming visible is one reason why liposuction of the neck must be done carefully.

Submental liposuction is frequently done together with a facelift. Even though facelift patients often have loose skin under their necks, by virtue of the tightening of the facelift it is sometimes possible to do liposuction along with the facelift to improve the shape of the neck. A crucial part of a facelift is reshaping the jawline and liposuction with a facelift can help with this.

If there is loose skin or if there are visible muscle bands, then some sort of a lift procedure will likely be more appropriate.

Men and women are equally good candidates for submental liposuction. It will make both men and women look leaner and more attractive. In particular, a strong neckline is an important aspect of male attractiveness, making submental liposuction one of the most common plastic surgery procedures for men.

The submental liposuction procedure is a fairly straightforward one. The surgery is minimally invasive and usually requires no more than 3 or 4 tiny incisions in the patient’s chin area. Using these incisions, the plastic surgeon is then able to refine and sculpt the patient’s chin and neck.

In the vast majority of cases, the submental liposuction procedure can be carried out while the patient is wide awake. This is done through the use of local anesthesia. Of course, if the patient is combining the submental liposuction procedure with another more intensive one (such as a blepharoplasty), IV sedation would be recommended.

In most cases, the submental liposuction surgery can be completed in around an hour. Patients will be able to go home shortly after the procedure has been completed. Though each patient is different, most will have completely recovered from the procedure within around 3-5 days.

In order to ease your recovery process, you should keep your head elevated, take painkillers as advised by your doctor, and ice the impacted area as directed. Though these first few days can be tough, it will be worth it when you see the final results.