Do you worry about the appearance of your double chin? The Food and Drug Administration is now close to approving a revolutionary method of removing fat without having to go through the knife.
Double chins do not pose serious health risks, but they can be unsightly, annoying, and embarrassing. So far, the only way to remove the fat buildup is to go through a liposuction where the doctor makes a small incision then suctions the fats.
A typical liposuction can cost as much as $2,500 and has a downtime. Patients may not be allowed to engage in strenuous physical activities in a couple of days after treatment to allow the surgical site to properly heal.
That's why the supposedly new drug is described as innovative and a breakthrough. The ATX-101 is made from deoxycholic acid. When injected right into the fat of the chin, it dissolves the fat by causing the cells to burst and eventually disappear. Since the acid is a naturally occurring molecule, the odds of suffering from an allergic reaction are smaller.
To administer the drug, a doctor needs to identify the area where most of the fat gathers. He then identifies the injection points by creating a grid. He has to make sure that the drug is evenly distributed. There's no need for any surgical tool.
This process is performed in a health care setting, such as a clinic or a hospital. Since it involves only a syringe and a drug, it can be completed in less than 15 minutes. There will be a slight discomfort after the procedure, and the site may develop bruising and swelling, but it's expected that after 2 days, the side effects are significantly gone. Unlike in a traditional chin liposuction, the patient can leave the clinic without any sign of the procedure. The patient should see the desired result within a few weeks.
The medication has already been tested to more than 1,500 people during the clinical trials with huge success. It's therefore only a matter of time before this receives an official FDA approval and be made available to the public.
