Do you have a double chin? You’re not alone, as having that extra padding between the neck and the chin is a common condition. Fortunately, double chin isn’t a medical condition—it is more of a cosmetic concern.
WORDS DR SIEW TUCK WAH
 FEATURED EXPERTDR SIEW TUCK WAH Medical Director Radium Medical Aesthetics |
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE DEVELOP A DOUBLE CHIN?
- Being overweight or obese.
- Natural loss of collagen as well as weakening of muscles and other fundamental supportive structures of the face due to ageing.
- Family history.
- Due to medical conditions such as underactive thyroid, salivary gland inflammation, sinus infection.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF A DOUBLE CHIN
Make Appropriate Dietary Changes
- If you smoke or drink alcohol, it’s time to cut back or quit, in order to improve your skin health.
- Cut down your salt intake by staying away from fries, take-out, and fast foods whenever possible.
- Make a conscience effort to drink more water and eat a nutrient-rich diet comprising lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.
Get Active
- Regular physical activity can reduce the amount of fat deposited between the neck and chin.
- Look up exercises that can help strengthen muscles of the face and jaw—these can help reduce the appearance of a double chin.
Fat Freezing
If your double chin is mostly due to fatty tissue accumulating in the area between the neck and the chin, fat freezing is an effective treatment.
- Fat freezing, also known as cryolipolysis or by the brand name CoolSculpting — is a non-surgical treatment that freezes and kills fat cells.
- A special device is applied to the double chin area, cooling the fat beneath the skin to a temperature that damages only fat cells (not your skin or muscle).
- After this treatment, your body will gradually remove these fat cells over the next 4 to 6 weeks.
- You will typically need a few sessions for best results. Downtime is minimal.
| Fat freezing is not a treatment for weight loss. It is used instead to contour stubborn fat that will not budge even with healthy diet and regular exercise. |
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU)
- HIFU is a non-surgical or non-invasive technique that helps to stimulate collagen production and melt fatty deposits at the same time.
- It involves the use of a probe to delivers high intensity focused ultrasound to different layers of the skin in the affected area.
- Heat is generated in the targeted area, triggering collagen production and tightening the connective fibres found in the deeper layers of the skin.
- About 2 to 3 months after the treatment, you will notice gradual tightening of the skin and less visible fat pad under the chin.
Chin Fillers
- Chin fillers are injectable dermal fillers such as hyaluronic acid fillers or collagen fillers.
- They can help to sculpt the lower face and chin, to reduce the appearance of double chin.
| To know more about fillers and how they can be used — and abused! — click here for Dr Siew Tuck Wah’s in-depth article on this subject. |
| This article is part of a series that take a scientifically proven look at aesthetics and beauty. |
