Aesthetic medicine
Chin liposuction or injection lipolysis, how they differ
In one method the fatty tissue is removed with a cannula, in the other it is broken down with a preparation given by injection. They differ in invasiveness, the course of healing and the number of visits, not in which one is better.
Published 11 October 2023. Last verified 26 September 2026.
Category
Aesthetic medicine
It starts with the problem
Who qualifies
Doctor, both procedures
How the two methods differ
Both work on the same area, but they do it differently. Chin liposuction is a surgical treatment: through a small incision the doctor inserts a cannula and removes the fatty tissue, shaping the area at the same time. The doctor selects the anaesthesia according to the scope of the treatment and the patient's state of health, not according to the patient's wish.
Injection lipolysis involves administering the injected product into the tissue, which damages the membranes of fat cells. The released content is removed metabolically, via the lymphatic and circulatory systems. There is no incision or suction here. Instead, there is a course of visits and inflammation in the tissue as part of the mechanism.
Everything else follows from this difference: the number of visits, the healing time, the type of complications the doctor informs about, and who each procedure is offered to. Neither of them is a weight-loss method, and neither replaces a change in lifestyle in cases of excess body weight.
Does fat return after chin liposuction
Fat cells removed during the treatment do not regenerate in this place. This does not mean, however, that the effect is independent of body weight: cells left in the area can enlarge, so as weight increases the chin area changes again.
After injection lipolysis, the effect also depends on body weight and on the number of treatments performed. Manufacturers of preparations and publications describe varying degrees of reduction, so figures appear here only after verification against the literature; this entry does not provide them.
How many lipolysis treatments need to be repeated
Injection lipolysis is a method carried out in a series. The number of treatments and the intervals between them result from the assessment of the area and the tissue's response to the first administration, so they are set by the doctor, not by a ready-made package. Liposuction is a one-off procedure, but it requires preparation, healing and a follow-up visit.
The cost of the whole path therefore looks different for each method. Price list items are given in the aesthetic medicine price list, and the scope of the treatment is determined by the doctor at the consultation.
How long the swelling lasts after treatment in this area
After liposuction, the chin area can be swollen, tender and bruised. Return to everyday activities usually happens after a few days, while the result can only be assessed after a few weeks, because the swelling masks the contour. Post-treatment recommendations, including a compression band and avoiding exertion, are given by the doctor.
After injection lipolysis, redness, swelling and tenderness usually last a few days after each visit. Hardening in the tissue and altered sensation around the injection sites occur less often. The doctor, not the website, informs about complications, including rare ones, before the consent form is signed.
The scar from the incision in liposuction is small, but it exists and matures over months. We describe scar management separately, in scar therapy.
When the cause of a double chin is not fat
- The skin is lax, and there is little fatty tissue. Reducing the volume can then reveal excess skin.
- The contour is blurred by tension in the platysma muscle or by the position of the jaw. This is a matter of structure, not volume.
- The swelling varies during the day or is related to a general illness and medications taken.
- A lump, an enlarged lymph node or a growing lesion can be felt under the skin. Such a situation requires diagnostics, not an aesthetic treatment.
That is why the path starts with identifying the cause. These are brought together on the double chin page, which divides the approach according to the cause, not according to the name of the treatment.
What determines the choice of method
The doctor proposes the method after assessing the area. What matters is the amount of fatty tissue, the quality and elasticity of the skin, the structure of the jaw, the state of health and medications taken, and also whether the patient can allow herself a few days with visible swelling. When there is excess skin, an approach that tightens the skin can make more sense than removing volume.
Preparations used in injection lipolysis differ in composition and registration status, so the doctor informs about the preparation used at the consultation. Trade names do not appear on the pages of the site, in line with the principle adopted for medical devices and medicinal products.
Further on the site
- Causes and treatment split: double chin.
- Procedure and qualification: chin liposuction, injection lipolysis and liposuction, how the treatment works.
- Prices: aesthetic medicine price list.
- Booking a visit: contact or online booking.
The questions we are asked most often
Does chin liposuction leave a scar
Yes. The cannula is inserted through small incisions, so the scars are small and usually hidden under the chin, but they do form. The scar matures over months, and during this time it changes colour and firmness.
Whether fat returns after chin liposuction
Fat cells that have been removed do not regenerate in that area, but the cells left in the surrounding tissue can enlarge if body weight increases. The result of the treatment is therefore not independent of weight and diet.
Does injection lipolysis hurt
Administration of the preparation is sometimes described as burning or stinging at the injection site. After the treatment the area can be tender, swollen and bruised for a few days. Sensations are individual and depend on the area and the number of injections.
How long does it take to see the effect of these treatments
After liposuction, swelling masks the result, so assessment is possible after a few weeks. After injection lipolysis, the change appears gradually, over weeks following successive treatments, because the body removes the released fat through metabolic pathways.
Will the treatment help if the skin under the chin is lax
Removing fatty tissue does not tighten the skin. With lax skin, reducing volume can reveal excess skin, so at the consultation we assess whether the problem is fat, skin quality, or both factors at once.
What the research says
A review of complications of chin liposuction and a randomised study of what happens to fat tissue after suction.
A systematic review of 13 papers describing a total of 2,085 chin liposuction procedures performed for aesthetic reasons. Adverse events were not rare, but most were mild and treated on an outpatient basis; the most common were seromas, skin irregularities or asymmetry, and visible platysma bands. The authors note that the data come from case reports and case series, so they need to be confirmed in better-designed studies.
Girão YRG, Soares AC, Costa FWG, Nogueira AS, Vasconcelos ACU. Adverse events related to submental aesthetic liposuction: a systematic review. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2026.05.061.
A randomised study in 32 women without obesity: 14 underwent small-volume liposuction of the thighs, hips or lower abdomen, and 18 formed the control group. After a year, the amount of fat tissue in the whole body had returned to baseline: the thigh area remained reduced, but fat was redeposited mainly in the abdominal area. The study did not concern the chin, but it shows that the body can rebuild removed fat tissue elsewhere.
Hernandez TL, Kittelson JM, Law CK, Ketch LL, Stob NR, Lindstrom RC, Scherzinger A, Stamm ER, Eckel RH. Fat redistribution following suction lipectomy: defense of body fat and patterns of restoration. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011;19(7):1388–1395.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials of injections that reduce chin fat. Compared with placebo, the treatment brought improvement but more often caused local adverse effects such as swelling, pain, redness, numbness, hardening and nodules, which were usually well tolerated. The authors point out that all the included studies may have been biased by the industry funding them.
Inocêncio GSG, Meneses-Santos D, Costa MDMA, Vieira WA, de Almeida VL, Rodrigues RPCB, Rode SM, Paranhos LR. Efficacy, safety, and potential industry bias in using deoxycholic acid for submental fat reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Clinics (São Paulo). 2023;78:100220.
About this text
The text was prepared by the NL Clinic team. Published 11 October 2023, reviewed 18 August 2026.
The content is informational in nature and does not replace a consultation or consent to treatment.
Assessment of the chin area at the consultation
At the medical consultation we check whether the contour is blurred by fatty tissue, skin quality, or the structure of the jaw. This determines which method we propose and whether the treatment makes sense.