If you’ve got a bit of extra fat beneath your chin, giving you that unwanted “waddle”, there’s good news. A new injectable treatment called Kybella can literally melt that fat away, destroying fat cells and assuring they won’t return. As with any new treatment, questions abound. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about Kybella that we here at Parkway Plastic Surgery hear from our clients.

1. How does Kybella work and how safe is it? According to the US Food and Drug Administration, Kybella is identical to something your body makes called deoxycholic acid. This naturally occurring acid helps to absorb fats. Similarly, Kybella works by destroying fat cells when injected properly. After multiple rounds of clinical studies yielding positive results, Kybella was approved by the FDA in 2015. Clinical researchers and FDA officials assure that Kybella is safe when administered correctly by a licensed dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon.
2. How many rounds of Kybella treatments will I need? The answer will vary according to the amount of fat present and your desired goal. However, most patients will need a series of 12-20 injections per visit, and two to three total visits, spaced a month apart. Those with more severe cases may require up to 50 injections in a single treatment, and up to six treatment sessions. Each treatment takes about 15 minutes to a half-hour.
3. How soon will I see results and how long will they last? That, too depends upon the severity of your case, though most patients report seeing positive results in two to four treatments. Before approving the drug, the FDA examined results of two US trials that included more than 1,000 people. More than 80 percent of trial subjects who received the drug said they noticed some improvement in their chin fat, while those who got the drug more often saw less fat under the chin.
4. What are the potential side effects of Kybella? The most common and expected side effects include bruising, swelling, pain, numbness, and small, firm areas around the injection sites. A possible, though rare serious side effect is an injury to the marginal mandibular nerve, which helps control facial expressions, causing an off-balance smile. This likely happens when shots are given too close to this nerve. In trials including more than 5,000 people, this side effect happened in just four percent of patients and eventually disappeared in all of them, according to a FDA advisory panel report.
5. Could the drug help destroy fat cells in other areas of the body? Clinical research shows that Kybella works best on small, targeted areas. That’s why it’s currently approved only for the chin area.

Find out if Kybella is right for you with a call to Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery at 904-396-1186.

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Parkway Plastic Surgery

904-396-1186

Nixing a smoking habit is among the most widely touted New Year’s resolutions each January. If you’re planning to undergo plastic surgery in 2017, it should be on your resolutions list as well. But if you’re thinking that simply switching cigarettes for the increasingly popular e-cigarettes, nicotine gum or other substitute, think again.

Nicotine wears multiple seemingly harmless masks including nicotine gum, patches, snuff, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, pipes, cigars and the latest trend, e-cigarettes, handheld electronic devices that vaporize flavored liquids. But all of these, including most e-cigarette flavors, have one thing in common – nicotine.

The trouble with nicotine and other toxins found in smoking and smoking substitute products is that they can cause the blood vessels to shrink, restricting blood flow to the tissues. Blood carries oxygen, which healthy flesh needs to survive. Without oxygen, skin, fat and muscle die. That’s critical because during plastic surgery, surgeons cut some blood vessels, but leave others intact to supply critically needed oxygen to skin that remains after a facelift, tummy tuck or other cosmetic surgery.

Ill effects of recent nicotine use on plastic surgery can include:

• Loss of cheek skin, nipples or stomach skin after a facelift, breast lift, breast reduction, or tummy tuck surgery
• Infections
• Death of fat cells (fat necrosis), causing hard lumps
• Delayed wound healing
• Thick, wide scars
• Blood clots, which can be fatal
• Increased pain
• Permanent small vessel damage
• Loss of breast implants
• Life threatening complications like stroke, heart attack, blood clots, and pneumonia

Here at Parkway Plastic Surgery, we highly recommend nixing your smoking habit for good. But if you’re considering cosmetic surgery, it’s critical that you avoid smoking and using smoking substitute products at least three to six weeks leading up to and following your procedure.

To find out more, and to make sure that you’re best prepared for your chosen procedure, call 904-396-1186 and schedule a consultation with Jacksonville’s Parkway Plastic Surgery.