The FDA approved Kybella, a treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe fat below the chin, also known as submental fat.
Kybella is identical to the deoxycholic acid that is produced in the body that helps the body absorb fats. It is a cytolytic drug, which when injected into tissue physically destroys the cell membrane.
When properly injected into submental fat, the drug destroys fat cells. However, it can also destroy other types of cells, such as skin cells, if it is inadvertently injected into the skin.
Kybella is administered as an injection into the fat tissue in the submental area. Patients may receive up to 50 injections in a single treatment, with up to six single treatments administered no less than one month apart.