In the process of researching Kybella to treat the fullness under my chin , I learned that the treatment can be somewhat painful, and that some people can have a fair amount of swelling, bruising, and firmness for several days (or even longer) after the treatment. This seems much different than the minimal response I have had to Botox and filler injections. Since this is a new product, and to help others out, I thought I would document my treatment, and let Dr. Dembny post it.

The Treatment

Dr. Dembny first drew some markings on my neck and under my chin. Prior to my treatment, he did inject some local anesthetic (lidocaine) into the area under my chin; he waited about 10 minutes and then he injected the Kybella.

I required 19 injections. He said this is about an average number. Immediately after the injections I felt a stinging and burning sensation. This was more intense towards the front (maybe there was less anesthetic in  that location). The stinging resembled the sensation I felt when Dr Dembny injected the local anesthetic, but it was a bit more intense and lasted longer.  Dr. Dembny gave me an ice pack to hold under my chin, and that helped some. The stinging lasted about 15 – 20 minutes and was then mostly gone. At that point I noticed that the area under my chin felt swollen.

Twenty minutes after the injections I felt swollen, and had a mild soreness. I took some ibuprofen and Tylenol, and that seemed to help.

One hour afterward there was no real change. I continued to place an ice pack under my chin every 20-30 minutes or so, and held it there for about 5 minutes because it felt good.

Two hours after the treatment I had a numb feeling under my chin. The area felt full, but was not sore. I continued to ice, but less frequently.

Day One

The following morning the area under my chin (and my upper neck)  was very swollen. I would say the area under my chin was at least twice as big as normal. I did not have bruising. When I touched the area it felt partially numb. The rest of the day I continued to feel numb and swollen. There was not really any change in how the area looked; it stayed pretty much the same all day long.

Day Two

On the second morning after my treatment the area under my chin was still swollen, but probably just a touch less than the day before. The fat under my chin felt more firm, and was sore if I pushed on it. As the day went on I noticed some yellow bruising became visible. By the end of the day, the area under my chin felt more numb towards the front, and was more tender towards the back. In the evening I experienced a strange tingling and itching sensation – It resembled that sensation when the numbness in your cheek is wearing off after the dentist. I find the numbness somewhat irritating because I am not used to it….but this is going to be so worth it.

Day Three

On the third morning, the swelling was slightly better, but the numbness is still there. The itching and tenderness are gone. I think the swelling continued to improve just a bit throughout the day.

Day Four

The swelling under my chin continues to improve slowly, but the numbness hasn’t changed. The yellow bruising is fading and almost gone.

Day Six

There is less swelling every day. When I pinch the skin and fat under my chin it still feels firm, but the size of that firmness is smaller than it used to be .

Day Eight

I think the numbness has started to improve. The treated area is still firm to the touch, but not like it was the first few days after the treatment.

Day Ten

For the first week or so I thought that the size of treated area was larger after the treatment than before. The swelling was such that my double chin looked bigger. By now the swelling has improved to the point where I think the size is no different than it was before the treatment. The fat is softening and the  area under my chin doesn’t look full and heavy like it did for about the first week.

Day Twelve

It’s been 12 days. I’d like to think that I see a change but I’m not sure. There is still a rather firm mass under my chin that is approximately 2″x 2″ in size. If the fat under my chin is improving, it’s so slow that it’s almost noticeable. The numbness feels the same. I haven’t lost hope though. I know this is a slower process because I will need a few treatments. Introspect, the first few days were really not that bad, and i really feel that my chin/neck look normal now.

Day Fifteen

I don’t know if it’s my imagination but I feel like it’s working! The area is still numb but I think it’s smaller! Yay!!!!

Day Nineteen

I can notice a difference! The area is still a little numb, but I think it worked! Can’t wait for my next treatment – both to see how much fat is gone and to receive the next series of injections so I can say “bye bye” to my double chin!

Day Twenty eight

I can definitely feel the improvement at this point, even though the visible change may not be that noticeable. The area under my chin feels  smaller, even though there is still a small amount of firmness deeper underneath. It feels  like I’ve got my profile back under my neck. Incidentally, it is still numb, but not bothersome.

Second Kybella Treatment (Day Forty one)

So today I had my second Kybella treatment – it is just one day shy of six weeks (41 days) following my first Kybella treatment. Both Dr Dembny and I agreed that there was a definite reduction in the amount of submental fullness after only one treatment. But there is still more fat to treat.

There as less burning after this second treatment. Dr. Dembny did the same number of injections this time as he did for the first treatment. However I think there is more swelling under my chin after this second treatment. The evening after my second treatment I took an Aleve, which helped. And I applied an ice pack to help reduce the swelling.

Day One
The next morning the pain was better, but the swelling under my chin is still pretty significant. I’m wearing a scarf to hide it.

Stay tuned for more