Botox has become a billion dollar industry since getting FDA approval for cosmetic use in 2002. Doctors believe Kybella, a fat dissolving injection just approved by the FDA last year, is on the same track. Right now, it can only be used on the chin.
"Primarily it's responsible for being injected into what we call the submental crease, which is basically that double chin that nobody likes and nobody wants,” Dr. Sachin M. Shridharani says.
Dr. Shridharoni, a renowned plastic surgeon, was the first doctor in New York selected to inject Kybella in patients. He says like Botox, Kybella is a game changer. Unlike Botox, Kybella permanently destroys fat and gives you a more defined looking jawline.
"It helps dissolve the fat away over the span of several weeks, which is a permanent solution for treating this area,” Shridharani says.
Dr. Shridharani says it works best on people with mild to moderate amounts of fat under their chin. It takes a couple of treatments spaced about a month apart. The medication used is extracted from a soy plant.
"We're able to not have to use animals or humans,” Shridharani says. “It decreases the risk of allergic reactions.
Dr. Shridharoni says the risk is no greater than other injectable like Botox, although patients may have some swelling afterwards. Tests are now being done to see how well Kybella works on other areas of the body.