Regenerative aesthetic treatments offer a long-term anti-aging and skin longevity strategy for patients looking to naturally improve skin health from within.
July 24, 2024
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The double chin is perhaps one of beauty’s most-detested adversaries. It shows up “unexpectedly” in awkward moments even though it’s always been there! It can ruin a good photo – a good day even. But where does it come from and why does it seem to be growing?
Excess Fat
An excellent place to find them is in your stash of snacks – figuratively speaking. Snacking is not an unhealthy habit per se, but if the food items are of the unhealthy nature and the indulgence is more than occasional then you can expect extra fat deposits to come along with every serving.
The accumulated excess fat will show and one of the areas where it does is the chin.
Skin Health
As we age, gravity wins. As early as our 20s, the skin starts to lose its elasticity due to collagen depletion resulting in skin sagging. It is a natural process, which is unfortunately accelerated by bad habits. These include smoking, consumption of alcohol and bad dietary habits, among others.
The contour of the chin is a tussle between its excess fat and the ability of the skin to hold them back from being overly prominent. An individual with a higher amount of fat in that area needs better skin elasticity to maintain shape and contour.
Genes and Bones
As with most things, genes play a part. If having a double chin runs in the family, it is highly likely that you already have or might have the same. This does not mean that there is a specific double chin gene per se. Instead, it refers to the body’s susceptibility to issues such as weight gain in general.
The bone structure could also be a reason. A weak jawline with a recessive chin means skin in the area is spread out over a smaller surface. A slight increase in fat deposit in that area can result in the appearance of a double chin, which explains why people with low body fat or who are physically slim can have a double chin.
Posture
A possible contributing factor and one that is not “generally” considered is bad posture. Craning over the phone and/or laptop is bad for the neck and chin – the platysma muscle to be specific. This group of muscles is found under the chin at the front of the neck. As we age, the group may separate, resulting in a drooping chin or saggy neck appearance. This natural process can be accelerated by bad habits such as bad posture.
So how can you eliminate the double chin?
Getting Rid of Double Chin
The most obvious thing to do is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and habits. Opt for healthier meal options and when it comes to exercise; high-intensity routines are ideal for fat-blasting and anaerobic endurance. Don’t neglect your aerobic endurance, so go for long walks and jogs as well.
Agreeably, the hard part about this is maintaining such a lifestyle. So don’t go too hard too fast on yourself and allow sufficient rest and recovery. You can still engage in the occasional snack (healthy ones!) and that glass of wine, but chances are, you probably won’t need to anymore as a result of your newfound healthy lifestyle.
Do consult your physician before embarking on a lifestyle change.
But bear in mind that although you will end up feeling and looking healthier – stubborn fat, as the name implies, will still persist. This is where minimally-invasive fat reduction procedures come in.
Minimally-invasive Procedures
Laserlipolysis (Laser Liposuction) is a procedure that removes excess fat in small areas such as the chin. Being minimally-invasive, it significantly reduces downtime, discomfort and bruising compared to traditional liposuction. The procedure results in a tighter appearance.
It can be paired with Ultherapy, an FDA-approved non-invasive skin lifting and tightening procedure. Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy that, among others, encourages collagen’s regenerative process. It does this without causing damage to the surrounding skin.
4D Fluid Facelift restores the face’s natural and curved contours subtly. This bespoke injectable treatment designed by Dr. Ivan Puah, Amaris B. Clinic Medical Director, is usually combined with neurotoxin injectables for a more youthful appearance.
Opting for a minimally-invasive procedure to address the double chin issue does seem feasible but do consult a qualified doctor when seeking such treatment.
Seeking Qualified Help
Dr Ivan Puah believes that an aesthetics doctor should possess good artistic sense as that would enable them to better advise on the merits (particularly in terms of results) of a procedure or treatment. Aspirations can be, at times, unrealistic, so having realistic goals is essential for true results.
Dr Ivan Puah is the appointed trainer by Allergan and Merz, and he trains fellow doctors in neurotoxin injectables and Fillers injections. He has also undergone training in body sculpting and VASER® advanced body sculpting in the USA, and is accredited by Ministry Of Health Singapore to perform liposuction. VASER stands for 'Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance'.
