Deoxycholic acid injection permanently reduces submental fat by breaking down the fat cells directly. Broken cells do not come back, so the result holds as long as you do not regain weight. It holds US approval for submental fat, so the evidence behind it is relatively well established.

It is given up to six times at intervals of four weeks or more. The area under the chin tidies up over two to three months, which is how long the body takes to process and clear the broken-down fat. Injections are placed in a grid, so a wide area is covered evenly in one session.

Swelling and soreness can last about a week. That is an expected inflammatory response as the fat cells break down, and marked swelling is sometimes read as a sign the reaction worked. If skin laxity is severe, removing only fat can leave the skin looking loose, so a tightening treatment is considered alongside.