Deoxycholic acid is an acid that your gut produces naturally. Its job is to process dietary fat, so that it can be flushed out through your urine. However, when a synthetic variation of this acid, Kybella, is injected into your submental region, you can improve the appearance of your profile. Today, our cosmetic experts at Burt and Will Plastic Surgery and Dermatology in Burr Ridge, IL discuss how quickly this treatment works.
How Quickly Does Kybella Work?
Kybella injections start to work immediately, but you shouldn’t expect to see immediate results. The deoxycholic acid in this injectable destroys the walls of fat cells in the treatment area, causing the fat cells to release the adipose tissue they were storing. However, it is up to your body to eliminate these dead fat cells and their stored energy. This process usually takes between four and six weeks. Luckily, there are steps you can take to see faster results.
Drink Plenty of Water
One of the simplest, most effective steps you can take to see your Kybella results as quickly as possible is to drink plenty of water. Just keep in mind that not feeling thirsty is not an adequate hydration indication. Feeling thirsty is a lag indicator of dehydration. Put another way, by the time you notice yourself feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
For the fastest possible fat removal results, make an effort to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day. Individual hydration needs vary, but drinking this amount of water daily will probably keep you hydrated. If your urine isn’t pale despite drinking eight cups of water daily, try to eat more water-dense fruits and vegetables. If you find drinking that much water difficult, drink some coffee or tea. You can also drink sparkling or fruit-infused water for hydration.
Go for a Walk
Gentle exercise is another great way to speed up the rate at which your final results will become apparent. At the end of the day, your lymphatic system is responsible for flushing out the fat cells destroyed during your treatment. Therefore, to enjoy the fastest possible results, you need to support the efficiency of your lymphatic system.
Besides staying hydrated, supporting the strength of your cardiovascular system is a great way to support your lymphatic system’s efficiency. If you don’t feel like you have a lot of time to exercise, consider vigorous exercise. For optimal health, you should get 2.5 hours of moderate exercise or 1.25 hours of vigorous exercise weekly. To save time, you can focus on getting only vigorous exercise or split your time between vigorous and moderate workouts.
Skip the Alcohol
Refraining from the consumption of alcohol for approximately one month is another great way to hasten your final results. It is highly advisable that you do not consume alcohol until your body has finished flushing out the fat cells destroyed during your treatment because alcohol is a diuretic. This means that you will have a very difficult time staying hydrated if you choose to drink alcohol.
Even worse, as far as your body is concerned, alcohol is a toxin. Your lymphatic system will focus on flushing out the alcohol in your system instead of eliminating dead fat cells if you choose to drink. Also, while your body flushes out any alcohol and a lot of the water in your system, it flushes out micronutrients. Unfortunately, your lymphatic system needs plenty of micronutrients to operate efficiently.
Eat Clean
Eating clean will also help your lymphatic system operate as efficiently as possible. Like every other system in your body, your lymphatic system needs fuel to operate. Try your best to get your recommended daily allowance of all micronutrients every day for four weeks. You also may benefit from ensuring you get all of your micronutrients for a couple of weeks.
Avoid Processed Foods
While it is highly advisable to get your RDA of vitamins and minerals, it is not recommended to get your nutrition from fortified cereals, pastas, meal replacement shakes, and protein bars. Your lymphatic system has to work hard to process processed foods. The more processed foods you eat, the less time and energy your lymphatic system will have to process the fat cells destroyed during treatment.
Don’t Smoke
Another great way to support the efficiency of your lymphatic system and see your results faster is to take a month-long break from nicotine. Remember, your lymphatic system depends on your cardiovascular system to send it hydration and nutrients. Unfortunately, nicotine elevates your blood pressure significantly by constricting your blood vessels.
If you consume nicotine, strain will be put on your cardiovascular system. It will struggle to deliver your lymphatic system the fuel it needs to process the dead fat cells. Even worse, the dead fat cells themselves must travel through the bloodstream. If your blood vessels are constricted, the destroyed fat will take longer to get through your body.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
You may need anywhere from one to six injection sessions to get the profile you are aiming for. Several factors, including the severity and cause of your concerns, affect exactly how many sessions you will need. If you have a moderate amount of excess fat, you should only expect to need three or four injection sessions.
On the other hand, if your concerns are mild in nature, only one or two injection sessions will probably be necessary. This general rule of thumb also tends to hold true when one’s double chin is caused by poor posture, bad genes, or sagging skin. Similarly, you should expect to need five or six injection sessions if you have an extreme amount of excess fat in your areas of concern.
How Long Will My Treatment Session Take?
You can generally expect your treatment session to take between 15 and 20 minutes. Most of this time will be spent inspecting and cleaning your injection sites. The injections themselves usually take only five minutes. However, you can expect your treatment session to take closer to 30 minutes if you would like a topical numbing cream applied to your skin prior to the injections. It may take around 15 minutes for this drug to take effect.
How Many Injections Will I Need?
Most people need between 20 and 50 injections if they are only treating the chin or neck. If you need to remove excess fat from both your chin and neck, you can expect to need approximately 40 to 100 injections per treatment session. We can give you a better idea of how many sessions and injections you will need during your initial evaluation. Both the number of sessions and injections required is affected by the severity of your cosmetic concerns.
Am I a Good Candidate for Injectable Fat Removal?
To find out for sure whether you are a good candidate for deoxycholic acid injections, you need to come in for an initial evaluation. We need to discuss your health to ensure that this treatment will be safe for you. However, if you are not pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffering from obesity, there is a very good chance that you will be considered a good candidate.
We also need to evaluate your cosmetic concerns and discuss your goals. With this information, we will be able to tell you whether deoxycholic acid injections will be an effective treatment method for you. We will also be able to give you a good idea regarding how many sessions you may need and how many injections per session you will need.
What Other Medical Conditions May Preclude Me From This Treatment?
You may be considered a poor candidate for deoxycholic acid injections if you have certain cardiovascular conditions, like hypertension, coronary artery disease, or thin blood. We also need to know if you have a history of keloid scarring.
Take the First Step To Improve Your Contours Today
While Kybella starts working right away, it is up to your body to flush out the fat cells destroyed during the treatment. Typically, this process takes between 28 and 42 days to complete. To see your results as soon as possible, take steps to boost your metabolism and support your lymphatic system.
If you think deoxycholic acid injections would boost your self-esteem, schedule an initial consultation with us today at Burt and Will Plastic Surgery and Dermatology in Burr Ridge, IL. We can’t wait to tailor a treatment plan that will allow you to achieve your desired contours.