Double Chin Treatment
Fullness under the chin can soften the jawline and blur the angle between the chin and neck, even in people who are otherwise lean and active. It is one of the most common concerns about the lower face, and it rarely has a single cause. Patients from Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Century City, and throughout Los Angeles come to Parsa M.D. to find out what is actually creating the fullness, whether that is fat, loose skin, the shape of the chin, or a combination, so the treatment matches the problem rather than guessing at it.
A double chin sits directly over the branch of the facial nerve that controls the lower lip, which is why anatomy matters as much as technique in this area. Dr. Kami Parsa’s reconstructive practice includes eyelid care for patients affected by facial nerve paralysis, and he has presented surgical research at the California Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting. He is a member of the USC Plastic Surgery Society and an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and he completed his fellowship in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
“Most people assume a double chin is just fat, but when I examine the neck, it is often loose skin, a small chin, or both. Removing fat from someone who really needs support or tightening can make the profile look worse, not better.” — Dr. Kami Parsa
What Causes a Double Chin?
The medical term for a double chin is submental fullness, and several different structures can contribute to it:
- Submental fat: A pocket of fat beneath the chin that often runs in families and can persist despite diet and exercise.
- Skin laxity: Loss of collagen and elastin with age allows the skin under the jaw to loosen and fold, covered in more depth on our Skin Laxity page.
- Chin and jaw structure: A small or recessed chin shortens the distance between the chin and neck, making even modest fullness more visible.
- Muscle bands and deeper structures: Separated neck muscles, a low position of the hyoid bone, or prominent glands beneath the jaw can create fullness that fat reduction will not change.
- Weight changes: Weight gain adds fat to the area, while rapid weight loss can leave loose skin behind.
Posture and camera angles make a double chin look worse, but they do not cause it. A new lump in the neck, a swelling that is growing, or a fullness that appeared on only one side is different from a cosmetic double chin and should be evaluated by a physician, since it can reflect a thyroid, gland, or lymph node problem.
How a Double Chin Is Evaluated
The consultation starts with a close look at the chin and neck from the front and in profile. Dr. Parsa or a licensed member of his clinical team will pinch the tissue to judge how much is fat and how much is skin, assess skin quality and elasticity, and look at chin projection and the jawline. Your medical history, weight history, medications, and any prior neck or chin procedures are reviewed, along with any history of trouble swallowing. Team members are described on our Our Providers page.
Double Chin Treatment Options in Beverly Hills
The right approach depends on what the evaluation shows, and many patients benefit from more than one:
- Fat removal: Facial Lipo Contouring removes fat through tiny incisions and suits patients with good skin elasticity who want a one-time procedure.
- Injectable fat reduction: Deoxycholic acid injections (Kybella®) are FDA-approved to improve moderate to severe fullness from fat beneath the chin in adults, usually over two or more sessions spaced at least a month apart.
- Skin tightening: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling and Ultherapy, which is FDA-cleared to lift lax tissue beneath the chin and on the neck, address loose skin rather than fat.
- Chin support: A small or recessed chin can be balanced with filler such as Voluma, which is FDA-approved for chin augmentation, often improving the profile more than fat reduction alone.
When loose skin along the jawline is the main concern, our Jowling page covers the options for that area. Results from fat reduction build over several weeks as swelling resolves, while tightening treatments improve gradually over three to six months.
Risks and When to Seek Care
Swelling, bruising, numbness, and firmness under the chin are common after both injections and liposuction and usually settle over days to weeks. Less common risks include uneven contour, skin irregularity, and infection. Because the nerve to the lower lip runs along the jaw, treatment in this area can rarely cause temporary weakness of the lower lip and an uneven smile. Injection treatments can also cause temporary difficulty swallowing. Contact the office right away if you notice an uneven smile, trouble swallowing, spreading redness, warmth, fever, or increasing pain after treatment. Seek emergency care for any difficulty breathing.
Why Choose Dr. Parsa for Double Chin Treatment
- Reconstructive Perspective: Fellowship training in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery shapes a careful, anatomy first approach to the lower face and neck.
- Full Range of Options: Surgical fat removal, skin tightening, and chin balancing are all available, so the plan follows your anatomy instead of a single device.
- Conservative Planning: Fat is removed only when fat is the problem, which helps avoid a hollow or overdone neck.
- Recognized Surgeon: He was named one of America’s Best Plastic Surgeons for Eyelid Surgery in 2026 by Newsweek and Statista.
- More Than 20 Years of Experience: Two decades of clinical practice inform how he weighs downtime, results, and safety for each patient.
Eliminate Your Double Chin in Beverly Hills
Your consultation takes place at our office at 465 N Roxbury Dr, Suite 1011, in Beverly Hills. Dr. Parsa and his team will examine your chin and neck, explain what is causing the fullness, and recommend a plan that fits your anatomy and schedule. Contact our office to request an appointment.
Medically reviewed by Kambiz K. Parsa, M.D. on
