Almost nobody books a consultation and says “submental fullness.” They say they hate their profile in photos, or that their jawline disappeared somewhere in their forties, or that they lost thirty pounds and their face still reads heavy from the side. It is one of the most common things we hear, and it is also one of the most commonly mistreated, because a double chin is not a single problem with a single fix.
Three different things create that silhouette, sometimes all at once. There is fat sitting under the chin. There is skin that has lost its snap. And there is bone and muscle structure, a jawline that was always soft or a chin that sits slightly back. Treatments that work beautifully on one of those do essentially nothing for the others. So before we talk about Kybella, let’s talk about how to tell which one you have.
The pinch test, and what it tells you
Look straight ahead in a mirror, then pinch the tissue under your chin between two fingers. If you can grab a soft, thick pad, you have submental fat, and fat responds to Kybella. If there is very little to pinch but the skin hangs or crepes when you tilt your head down, that is laxity, and no amount of fat dissolving will help. Injecting Kybella into a chin that is mostly loose skin can make the looseness more obvious, which is exactly the outcome nobody wants.
Then check your profile. If your chin sits noticeably behind your lower lip line, some of what reads as a double chin is really a projection issue, and adding structure along the jaw and chin does more for the photo than removing anything.
This is a two minute assessment at a consultation, and it is the single highest value thing you can do before spending money in this category. Ours are complimentary.
Your realistic options, side by side
Here is how the choices compare at our South Miami office, with current menu pricing.
| Option | Best for | Typical course | Downtime | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kybella | Pinchable fat under the chin | 2 to 4 sessions, a month apart | 1 to 2 weeks of swelling | $650, or 3 for $1,660 |
| Everesse, neck | Skin laxity, mild crepiness | 1 session, results build | Minimal | $850 |
| Everesse, face | Jawline and lower face laxity | 1 session, results build | Minimal | $1,800, or 2 for $2,880 |
| Dermal filler, chin and jawline | Weak projection, undefined jaw | 1 to 3 syringes | 1 to 3 days | $700 per syringe |
| Medical weight loss | Facial fullness driven by overall weight | Ongoing program | None | $349 first month, $449 after |
| Wellness consultation | Figuring out which of the above you need | 1 visit | None | Complimentary |
Most patients we treat for this end up combining two of these rather than picking one. Fat removal plus tightening is the most common pair, and it is worth planning the whole sequence before you start so you are not paying twice to fix an order of operations problem. If you are budgeting for a combination, our financing options spread it out.
What Kybella actually is
The active ingredient in Kybella is deoxycholic acid, a molecule your body already makes to help break down dietary fat. In concentrated, purified form it is injected directly into the fat pad under the chin, where it disrupts the fat cell membranes. Those cells are cleared out over the following weeks and they do not come back. It received FDA approval for submental fullness in adults back in 2015, so this is a well characterized treatment with a decade of real world use behind it, not a new arrival.
The permanence is the appeal. Once a fat cell is gone it is gone, and if your weight stays reasonably stable the result holds indefinitely. That is a genuinely different proposition from filler or a neurotoxin, both of which you maintain forever.
Be prepared for the swelling
I want to be direct about this because it is the part patients are least ready for. The treatment itself takes about twenty minutes. You will feel burning for a few minutes after each injection, which settles quickly. Then your chin swells, and it swells substantially. Many people describe looking like they have a larger double chin than when they walked in, for the better part of a week.
Peak swelling is usually days two through four, and most of it resolves within one to two weeks. Bruising, numbness, and a firm feeling under the chin are all common and expected. The numbness can persist for several weeks.
Plan around it. Do not book this ten days before a wedding, a shoot, or a conference. Our patients who are happiest with the process are the ones who scheduled a session at the start of a quiet stretch and let it run its course. The rarer risks worth knowing about include temporary weakness of the nerve that controls the lower lip, which can make your smile uneven for a few weeks, and difficulty swallowing. Both are uncommon and both are why placement by an experienced injector matters. Ask about this at your consultation, here or anywhere.
Where GLP-1 weight loss fits into this
This has changed the conversation a lot over the last two years. Significant weight loss reduces facial fat, including under the chin, so if you are early in a medical weight loss program it usually makes sense to wait and see where your face lands before paying for fat dissolving. You may need far less than you think.
The flip side is the pattern we now see constantly: someone finishes a big loss, the fat under the chin is gone, and what is left is loose skin and a hollow, tired looking face. That is a tightening and volume problem, not a Kybella problem. We wrote about that whole picture in our guide to the GLP-1 facial makeover, and if skin laxity is your outcome, Everesse is the tool we reach for. Our Everesse explainer covers what that treatment does and does not do.
How we usually sequence it
When someone needs both fat reduction and tightening, we treat the fat first. Removing volume can slightly worsen the appearance of loose skin, so tightening afterward addresses the skin you actually end up with rather than the skin you had. We generally allow six to eight weeks after your final Kybella session before assessing for Everesse.
If structure is part of the picture, jawline filler can go before or after, though placing it after the fat work gives a cleaner read on how much definition you actually need. And if you want the full menu of what we offer in this category, the injectables page lays it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Kybella sessions will I need?
Most patients need two to four sessions spaced about a month apart, though it depends on how much fat is present. Some people are satisfied after two. Your provider will map out a realistic number at your consultation rather than guessing after the first visit.
How much does Kybella cost in Miami?
At AMMA, Kybella is $650 per session, or three sessions for $1,660. Because most patients need more than one session, the package is usually the better value if your assessment suggests a full course.
Is Kybella permanent?
The fat cells that are destroyed do not regenerate, so the result is considered permanent as long as your weight stays relatively stable. Significant weight gain afterward can still change your profile, since remaining fat cells in the area can enlarge.
Will Kybella tighten loose skin under my chin?
No. Kybella only addresses fat. If your main issue is laxity rather than a pinchable fat pad, a tightening treatment such as Everesse for the neck at $850 is the more appropriate choice, and using Kybella instead can make loose skin look worse.
Does Kybella hurt?
There is a burning sensation during and immediately after the injections that typically lasts a few minutes. We use topical numbing and ice to make it manageable. The discomfort afterward is more about swelling and tenderness than pain, and it fades over the first week. Book a consultation and we will walk you through exactly what to expect.
Reviewed by the AMMA Aesthetics Medical Team.
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