Double Chin

Fat-Dissolving Injection (DCA)

vs Ulthera,

[Is it excess fat, or loss of elasticity?]

As I got older too,

even though I really worked out a lot and had almost no fat,

I still ended up with a double chin.,

I guess many of you have similar concerns to mine.

People always ask,

"For a double chin, is a fat-dissolving injection better,

or is Ulthera better?"

They ask like this

These two always appear together in search results too,

but there actually aren’t as many comparison posts as you’d expect.

Today, I’ll go through the answer I actually give in the clinic

just as it is.

💡 Key takeaways from today’s post

Q. For a double chin, is a fat-dissolving injection

or Ulthera more effective?

A. If there is a lot of fat, injections,

if sagging skin is the main issue,

Ulthera comes first.

Q. Do fat-dissolving injections

really work for a double chin?

A. Because they directly destroy fat cells,

they are clearly effective when there is enough fat.

Q. Can the two be done together?

A. Depending on the case, combining them can actually

produce better results,

and I’ll cover that in detail in the main text.

The two procedures work

in fundamentally different ways

First, the tricky part is this:

not all double chins are the same.

They are broadly divided into two types.

1. Fat type

   When fat itself accumulates under the chin

   
   

2. Sagging type

   When skin and fascia sag downward more than fat

And the two procedures each

address these different causes.

Fat-dissolving injections use ingredients (mainly deoxycholic-acid-based)

to directly destroy the fat cell membrane,

reducing the cells themselves.

The FDA-approved deoxycholic acid ingredient

is the representative evidence for this category.

Ulthera (HIFU), on the other hand, uses high-intensity focused ultrasound

to deliver heat stimulation to the deep layers of the skin (SMAS layer)

and induce collagen regeneration and lifting.

It does not directly remove fat.

Fat-dissolving injections,

honest effects and limitations

Fat-dissolving injections definitely work.

But that doesn’t mean they’re all good.

There is one thing I definitely need to tell you:

they cause quite a bit of swelling.

For 2–4 days right after the procedure, the area under the chin swells quite a lot,

so the double chin may actually

look more prominent.

I always explain this in advance as well.

And if you keep doing injections when there isn’t much fat,

the fat decreases, but the skin doesn’t come back up with it,

so a saggy feeling can remain.

That’s why, combined with lifting procedures like Ulthera or Thermage,

doing them together can realistically

produce better results in some cases.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Wi Youngjin’s Practical Note:

When Dr. Wi Youngjin consults on double chins,

he first looks at both fat layer thickness and skin elasticity.

In my experience, when the fat layer is clearly thick

and skin elasticity remains in people in their 30s to early 40s,

3–4 sessions of fat-dissolving injections

produce a clearly visible contour change.

On the other hand, for people in their mid-40s or older,

or for those whose sagging is more noticeable than fat,

injections alone often

leave disappointing results.

For these patients, I recommend Ulthera first

or suggest combining treatments.

Can Ulthera also

be used on a double chin?

This is a point many people misunderstand,

Ulthera isn’t just for facial lifting.

It is officially used on double chins as well.

The effect of tightly lifting the skin and fascia under the chin

has been clinically confirmed,

and especially when sagging is the main issue,

Ulthera creates a much more noticeable change.

The downside is the cost ^^..

Compared with fat-dissolving injections, the per-session cost is higher,

and you have to wait

2–3 months for the effect to appear.

It’s hard to expect immediate results.

Still, for people who don’t have much fat,

have a blurred neck line,

or whose skin has sagged after dieting,

Ulthera is a much more realistic choice.

Key summary

For double-chin fat reduction, consider it first when there is enough fat,

and for Ulthera, when sagging is the main cause.

So what is right for

my chin?

It depends on the case,

but this is usually how I judge it.

1. When you pinch under the chin

and a thick layer of fat is felt

→ Fat-dissolving injection first

2. If

the skin feels more stretched than the fat

→ Ulthera first

3. If there is both fat

and reduced elasticity

→ Combination is realistic

Honestly,

it’s hard to decide without seeing it directly.

Even with the same double chin,

the approach has to change depending on the location of fat distribution, skin thickness, and age.

If I can see it briefly in the clinic,

the direction usually becomes clear quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. If I get a fat-dissolving injection for a double chin,

how long does the swelling last?

A. It varies from person to person, but in my experience, if it’s severe

some people have swelling that lasts up to 1–2 weeks.

I don’t recommend getting it right before an important event.

Q2. How many fat-dissolving injection sessions

are needed for results?

A. It depends on the amount of fat,

but we usually start with 3–5 sessions as the baseline.

After one session, we decide whether to add more

based on the progress.

Q3. Can I get fat-dissolving injections and Ulthera

on the same day?

A. Same-day combination is possible,

but swelling and irritation can overlap,

so I usually leave some time between them

and proceed sequentially.

If you have any questions,

feel free to contact me on KakaoTalk.

You can also ask on KakaoTalk before visiting.

This was Wi Youngjin.

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