What is a double chin?
A double chin is a pocket of excess fatty tissue under the jawline. Known clinically as submental fat, it does not only affect people who are overweight. It has a range of causes, including genetics, posture, diet and age, and it appears on people of all ages and sizes.
That matters, because the cause decides the treatment. Chin fat, loose skin along the jaw and a chin that sits too far back all look similar in the mirror and respond to completely different things. Double chin reduction is only straightforward once you know which one you are dealing with, and the effect on the facial profile from the side is usually what people notice first.
At PHI Clinic we treat it without surgery, using advanced RF technology (Emface), laser skin tightening (Endolift), High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (Ultraformer), and in some cases fat-dissolving injections. We can also place dermal filler to lift and define the lower face, which reduces the appearance of a double chin without treating the fat directly.
Double chin treatment before and after
What causes a double chin?
Genetics. Fat distribution can be hereditary, up to a point. Your genes influence how and where your body stores fat, including the area under your jaw.
Posture. Poor posture contributes to a double chin, because it weakens the muscles in the neck, jaw and chin. A typical example is being hunched over a phone or computer, which leads to what is often called tech neck. As the muscles weaken, the surrounding skin loses skin elasticity and can sag, and a stubborn pocket of fat below the chin appears.
Diet. When you regularly consume more calories than you burn, the excess is stored as fat all over the body, including under the neck. The foods that typically cause weight gain have a dual impact on submental fat: a diet high in sugar, processed foods and unhealthy fats provides excess calories and also breaks down collagen in the skin. The resulting skin laxity, combined with weight gain, worsens the appearance.
Age. As we age, collagen and elastin synthesis naturally reduces, which leads to a loss of skin elasticity. That sagging creates the appearance of a fat pocket at the jawline. A double chin is therefore a sign of ageing, in the same way as lines and wrinkles.
What helps with a double chin
All three are non-surgical procedures carried out at our Harley Street clinic. Which suits you, and how many treatment sessions you need, is decided at consultation.
Endolift
Endolift laser technology addresses skin laxity and stubborn chin fat in the face and neck. Heat delivered beneath the skin stimulates collagen and tightens loose skin while reducing small fat pockets, and it can be adjusted to permanently eliminate fat cells in targeted areas.
Ultraformer
Ultraformer lifts and tightens the face and neck without surgery, counteracting the downward movement of muscle and fat that comes with ageing. It improves skin laxity, tone and definition along the jawline.
Emface
The EMFACE device uses controlled RF energy beneath the chin, heating deeper tissues while protecting the skin's surface. It reduces fat, tightens skin and stimulates muscle contractions, addressing both fat and muscle to improve facial contours and create a more sculpted appearance.
Our expertise
Our practitioners at our London clinic on Harley Street are specialists in non-surgical treatments. From treating sagging jowls, addressing a weak chin, right through to bespoke treatments for a double chin, our award-winning clinic delivers outstanding transformations.
PHI Clinic founder Dr Tapan Patel holds The Aesthetics Award 2023 for Outstanding Achievement in Medical Aesthetics. Training and guiding the PHI Clinic team to meet his exemplary standards, each of our professionals is renowned for their techniques and results.
How to get rid of a double chin
There is no single answer, because there is no single cause. Of the cosmetic procedures available, some treat the fat, some treat the skin and some do neither. Safety and results both depend on matching the treatment to the cause, which is why every treatment plan starts with working out which applies to you. Here is the honest version of what each route does.
Diet and exercise. If the chin fat came with general weight gain, losing weight will reduce it. If it did not, it will not. Plenty of slim people have a double chin, and no amount of weight loss changes fat distribution that is genetic.
Double chin exercises. Chin tucks, tongue presses and similar routines strengthen the platysma and the muscles of the neck. They will not remove fat. There is no evidence that a facial exercise reduces submental fat, and the claims you see about losing a double chin in a week are not credible.
Fat-dissolving injections. Deoxycholic acid injected into the fat pocket breaks down fat cells, which the body then clears. The process targets the fat itself rather than the skin over it, so it suits people with a defined pocket of submental fat and reasonable skin quality. Several treatment sessions are usually needed, and it is offered in some cases at PHI Clinic following assessment.
Skin tightening and laser. Where the problem is laxity rather than volume, tightening the skin and stimulating collagen does more than removing fat would. This is where Endolift, Ultraformer and Emface come in, and it is the most common route to double chin reduction that we take. Recovery time is minimal, which is a large part of why patients choose it.
Dermal filler. Filler does not treat the fat at all. By restoring definition to the chin and jawline, it changes the contour above the double chin so the facial profile reads as sharper. At our London clinic we use Juvéderm hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, and chin filler is often the piece that makes the rest of the work land.
Surgery. Submental liposuction and a neck lift remove fat and skin directly, and for a severe double chin with significant laxity they achieve more than any non-surgical option. They also involve anaesthetic, a longer recovery time and permanence. PHI Clinic does not perform surgery, and where we think it is the better answer for you, we will say so rather than treat.
Endolift journey treatment at PHI Clinic London
Your double chin treatment practitioners
Safe and effective treatment
Your safety is our priority at PHI Clinic. All our patients have a thorough consultation, and treatment is always carried out on a separate day. We believe it is essential for patients to be able to think before deciding whether to go ahead with their bespoke treatment plan.
Frequently asked questions
A double chin usually comes from a combination of factors. Genetics influence where your body stores fat. Poor posture weakens the neck, jaw and chin muscles, which leads to sagging skin. A high-calorie diet contributes both through weight gain and through collagen breakdown. And ageing reduces collagen and elastin synthesis, causing the loss of skin elasticity that creates the appearance of a fat pocket at the jawline.
Yes, though the right route depends on the cause. Options range from diet and exercise where weight gain is the cause, through non-surgical procedures, to surgery. Endolift combines skin tightening with fat reduction, delivering laser energy through microscopic optical fibres to stimulate collagen and reduce the fatty pocket. Fat-dissolving injections using deoxycholic acid break down and eliminate fat cells in the chin area. Dermal filler restores definition to the chin and jawline.
Yes, and it is common. Submental fat distribution is largely genetic, and a double chin can also come from a loss of skin elasticity or a recessed chin rather than from chin fat at all. Being slim does not rule it out.
They strengthen the muscles of the neck and jaw, which is worth doing, but they do not remove fat. No facial exercise has been shown to reduce submental fat, so treat any claim about losing a double chin in days with scepticism.
The cost of double chin treatment depends on which option suits you. At PHI Clinic, EMFACE starts from £500, Ultraformer from £1,100 and Endolift from £2,000. A new patient consultation with a cosmetic doctor is from £125, and that is where the treatment plan and the final cost are agreed.
It varies. Energy-based treatments such as Endolift and Ultraformer work by stimulating collagen, so the change builds over weeks to months rather than appearing immediately. Fat-dissolving injections take several weeks per session as the body clears the treated fat cells. Dermal filler shows an immediate change that settles over about two weeks.
Minimal for all of our non-surgical procedures. Most patients return to normal activities the same day. Mild swelling or tenderness is normal and settles within a few days, and your clinician will talk you through what to expect for the specific treatment in your plan.
Fat cells removed by fat-dissolving injections or laser do not return, but significant weight gain can enlarge the remaining ones, and ageing continues to affect the skin either way. Treatments that work by tightening skin need maintenance over time, and your clinician will be clear about which category your plan falls into.
Safety comes from proper assessment and from treatment being carried out by experienced practitioners in a clinical setting. Most patients find these treatments very manageable, with brief discomfort at most. Any concern after treatment should be raised with the clinic rather than left.
Yes. A double chin can come from fat, a loss of skin elasticity, a recessed chin or a combination, and those respond to different treatments. The assessment establishes which applies to you and whether treatment is likely to help at all.
Location
PHI Clinic
102 Harley Street,
London,
W1G 7JB,
United Kingdom
Tel: 02070345999
Opening Hours
Monday & Tuesday - 9:30am to 6:00pm
Wednesday & Thursday - 9:30am to 8:00pm
Friday - 9:30am to 5:00pm
Saturday - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Sunday - Closed
Opening times can change, if your appointment is outside of these times please contact the clinic for confirmation.
