Understanding Submental Fullness and Its Treatment Options

Submental fullness is an esthetic condition majorly caused by the depositing of subcutaneous fat under the chin. Also referred to as double chin, this is an undesirable condition that most people in Washington seek plastic surgery treatment. A double chin is genetic and naturally developing condition associated with weight gain or age.

The entry of smartphones with good video and photos capabilities have enabled people to notice their double chin more easily. When the excess subcutaneous fat builds up in the chin, it causes it to tilt downwards creating a second chin layer. Submental fullness can make you look old even when you are not, that’s why people despise them just like under eye wrinkles.

What’s the leading cause of submental fullness?
To get a better understanding of what contributes to a double chin, you need to examine the entire neck anatomy together with the jawline and the chin. While neck fat is perhaps the leading cause, a double chin can also be caused by skin, muscle, bone, and glands. Old age comes with everything, including weak bone of chin, loose and sagging skin. Droopy submandibular glands also cause submental fullness.

Submental fullness treatment
This condition is different in everyone and therefore there isn’t a specific treatment for all patients. However, the two most common form of treatments are surgical and nonsurgical procedures.

Non-Surgical procedures involve the use of injections or double chin slimmer tools and devices. A neck fat surgery can be done in the office through local anesthesia while Botox can be injected into the salivary gland to reduce its size. A weak chin, on the other hand, can be reinforced using facial fillers. Non-surgical methods are mostly recommended if you’re looking to avoid plastic surgery. But the results are fairly subtle and improves with time.

The only drawback about non-surgical operations is that it will take repeated surgical treatment to get the desired improvements. Depending on the complexity of each procedure, prices will vary greatly per treatment.

Plastic surgery isn’t a bad option also as it guarantees lasting improvement with minimal downtime. It’s an ideal method that helps eliminate excess neck fat, lifting your chin and tightening your skin and neck muscle. There are different varieties of plastic surgery to facilitate submental fullness treatment and are used either independently or in a combination of other procedures. These procedures include facelift, chin implant, and liposuction. The idea is to minimize neck fat and augment weak chin bone while tightening skin and muscle.

Deciding which treatment to choose
Given the variety of options to treat submental fullness, how do you know which the best treatment for your case? First, go for an examination for a comprehensive assessment. This will help identify the contributing factor, whether its a skin, muscle, fat, bone or gland related double chin. Consult with a plastic surgeon who normally administer these kinds of procedures.