Double Chin Fix Drug
ATLANTA - Jessy Heim is weeks away from marrying the love of her life. But in photos, the 28-year old was noticing something she didn't love; a small thing that felt like a big deal to her.
"I started noticing I had this little extra pocket of skin underneath my chin. (trim?) You know, taking pictures, I would delete them immediately," said Heim.
Heim tried working out, and changing her diet, but says her chin fat wouldn't budge.
"There's just areas that you just can't get rid of, no matter what you do!"
Plastic surgeon Dr. Carmen Kavali points out you don't have to be heavy to have a double chin.
"There are many thin people who have double chins because it runs in the family. Your grandfather had it, your mother has it, and now you have it," said Dr. Kavali
The Atlanta-area plastic surgeon thought this new injectable called Kybella might help Jessy, who works in her office.
"The product itself is deoxycholic acid. It's a naturally occurring compound, it's in all of our bodies. It's one of our liver enzymes, actually. And it's job in nature is to dissolve fat," said Dr. Kavali.
This is Jessy's second, and final, treatment. The first time,
"I was nervous, I'm not going to lie," said Heim.
The doctor numbed the underside of Jessy's chin, and then injected small amounts of Kybella into the fatty tissue. Dr. Kavali says a patient can get up to 50 tiny injections per session. She says many patients experience visible results with two to four treatment session spaced out a minimum of one month apart.
But Dr. Kavali says most patients need only two to four treatments.
"And it was quick; it doesn't take a long time either."
But Kybella is not cheap: each treatment is about $1,500.
Yet Jessy says this was the perfect fix -- to get her ready for her big day.
"I'm happy with it already, even with just one injection."
The Food and Drug Administration warns that Kybella can cause serious side effects, including swelling, redness, nerve injury in the jaw that can cause an uneven smile and trouble swallowing.