Kybella

Frequently Asked Questions About Kybella

• How does Kybella work?

  Kybella is a synthesized version of deoxycholic acid, a chemical that is naturally occurring in the body and plays a role in the absorption of dietary fats. Treatment typically begins by numbing the area using lidocaine. Once numbing has taken effect, your physician will strategically inject Kybella. This process takes, on average, just 15-20 minutes. Kybella is injected into the treatment area under the chin and works to destroy fat cells. Once damaged, those fat cells can no longer store or accumulate fat, and are cleared away by your body’s natural processes^1,2.

  Everyone will need at least 2 treatments, spaced a month apart. After these initial 2 treatments, we will space out any additional treatments at longer intervals, so that their full effect can be evaluated. Treatment number varies by patient and will be discussed during your complimentary consultation. The actual procedure will last about 15-20 minutes in the office. Once you achieved the level of correction desired, additional future treatments are not anticipated^1,2.

• Will Kybella work for me?

  Kybella works well for most people, but an ideal candidate:

  • Has good skin tone
  • Has moderate to mild skin laxity in their neck
  • Has excess fat in their neck and below the chin
• What is the cost of Kybella?

  Kybella is priced by the number of vials used, with smaller areas requiring fewer vials than larger areas. Each treated area will need at least 2 injection sessions and up to 4 or more, depending upon how much fat there is to treat. Typically, a double chin or jowls is going to cost around $900 – 1800 per treatment, making the final cost $1800 – 3600+.

• How do I choose a doctor for Kybella?

  When choosing who to receive injections from, there are a lot of options available. At Reflections Center, our procedures are performed by physicians who are experts in a handful of specific procedures, allowing them to hold a comprehensive understanding of the procedures they perform beyond that of an average technician.

  Like with all injectables, there is an art to providing the best results with Kybella. Our expert physician injectors were hand-selected by Kythera, the creators of Kybella, to be some of the very first to receive training on this product, because of their reputation as leaders in this field. Reflections is proud to be able to offer Kybella, as well as a wide variety of other cutting-edge procedures, to our patients in New Jersey.

• What does recovery & downtime from Kybella?

  The most common side effects of Kybella are swelling and bruising, which subside after a few weeks. Some patients also feel soreness in the treatment area for up to a day or two after their procedure. Most patients fully recover from Kybella injections within a month.

• How can downtime be minimized for Kybella?

  Swelling is one of the most common side effects of Kybella injections. However, our physicians have found that including Kenalog in our injections often allows patients to reduce swelling. Kenalog is a corticosteroid that can be administered by injection.

• Are there alternatives to Kybella?

  For some patients, Kybella may not be the right choice to treat their areas of concern. Thankfully, Reflections Center offers a wide variety of treatments to suit any patient. If your physician believes that Kybella isn’t suitable for you, they may recommend one of the following treatments instead.

  CoolSculpting can be used for the double chin using the CoolMini module. CoolSculpting is a non-surgical procedure that freezes fat cells, and in our experience, this procedure works just as well as Kybella. Many patients also experience less swelling and downtime with CoolSculpting compared to Kybella, which suits some lifestyles better.

  For spot-reducing fat in other areas, CoolSculpting is just one procedure that can be helpful. SculpSure is a laser treatment for fat reduction that takes just 25 minutes on average. Some patients or physicians prefer Laser Liposuction instead, a surgical procedure in which fat cells are melted before being suctioned away using a cannula inserted through a small incision.

  If you experience jowls and loose or sagging skin, removing the fat alone won’t effectively treat these symptoms. During your consultation, we may suggest that a facelift is the only truly effective procedure to rejuvenate the lower face and neck areas.

  If it turns out, for whatever reason, Kybella isn’t your best choice, we’ll be happy to talk about other options, such as Laser Liposuction, Necklift, Exilis, ThermiTight, Thermage, or Ultherapy.

• What should I expect after Kybella treatments?

  Some patients will experience mild swelling and potential bruising in the injection site for 2-3 days after injection. To minimize swelling, you will be instructed to wear a compression chin strap for the first 24 hours following treatment. We are happy to accommodate your schedule with evening and weekend hours. You should expect to see full results from each session at about a month after injection, at which time you should come in for your next session until you have reached the desired level of correction. It is not expected that you will need re-treatment in the future.

• How long does the Kybella procedure take?

  The injections take 15-20 minutes for the physician to perform. You will numb prior to injection, so you should plan to be in the office for about an hour total with each treatment.

• How many treatments will I need?

  Each patient’s treatment plan will be customized to their aesthetic goals during their consultation. The number of treatments will vary between 2 and 6, with most patients needing between 3 and 5 treatments to see maximum results. Once you’ve reached your full results, we do not anticipate you needing more treatments, as long as you maintain the results with a healthy diet and exercise.

• What is the average cost of Kybella?

  Kybella is priced by the number of vials used, with smaller areas requiring fewer vials than larger areas. Each treated area will need at least 2 injection sessions, and up to 4 or more, depending upon how much fat there is to treat. Typically, a double chin or jowls is going to cost around $900 – 1800 per treatment, making the final cost $1800 – 3600+.

• Are Kybella injections painful?

  Your doctor will numb the area with lidocaine the same way your dentist numbs you before you have a cavity filled. After the numbing wears off there can be some tenderness that can be relieved by ibuprofen.

• How soon do you see results from Kybella?

  Changes are expected to become more evident after the second treatment takes full effect. Usually, results improve through 3 months after the second treatment session.

• Can Kybella be used on other areas?

  Kybella is FDA-approved for use in the submental area below the chin and through the neck and has been shown to be very safe and effective in treating these areas. However, there have not been sufficient clinical studies to show safety and efficacy in other parts of the body.

• Can Kybella be used on the face?

  Kybella is FDA approved for use in the area under the chin (submental region). Its use in jowls is considered off label but it is very effective in this region, and in the hands of an experienced physician it should be safe.

• Can Kybella cause permanent nerve damage?

  When Kybella is used in the hands of an experienced and skilled provider there is very minimal risk or nerve irritation, however this has not been shown to be permanent. Do not let a non-physician inject kybella.

• Can Kybella get rid of jowls?

  Kybella is very effective in removing jowl fat. It usually requires a couple of treatments, spaced 2 months apart.

• Does Kybella dissolve filler?

  Kybella is deoxycholic acid and therefore does not dissolve HA or Hyaluronic Acid fillers. There is an entirely different substance – Hyaluronidase dissolves fillers.

• Does Kybella work on knees?

  Kybella may be used to reduce fat on the inner knees; however it is not FDA approved for this area.