Double chin? You need a soya bean injection – as research suggests facial feature can run in families

Double chins can plague even the most beautiful women in the world, with actor Richard Burton once unkindly saying his lover Elizabeth Taylor had one.

But now researchers say the humble soybean can get rid of unwanted facial fat.

In one trial, a compound is being used to selectively break down what is referred to as submental fat, which affects 60 percent of people.

Research has suggested that the fat, often associated with obesity, can run in families and results in loss of skin elasticity with age.

There are a number of other causes of a double chin.

Genetic research has suggested that it can run in families, and the loss of skin elasticity with advancing age can also cause the skin, including that under the chin, to sag.

Poor posture can also weaken neck and chin muscles over time, leading to loss of skin elasticity.

Last week, tests began on more than 250 patients at Chung-Ang University Hospital in South Korea.

Researchers using a compound known as AYP-101, developed by Amipharm, claim: ‘This is the world’s first and only injectable that can only break down fat cells selectively.’

But Dr. Bav Shergill, dermatologist and honorary lecturer at the University of Manchester, warned: ‘The biggest problem (in previous tests) is the range of side effects, including overcorrection and numbness.

“There have been many attempts to find a perfect fat-dissolving agent.

‘The biggest problem is the range of side effects.

‘Current products require very precise placement to prevent beard loss, over-correction and numbness.

‘It will be interesting to see the results.’

When it came to Elizabeth Taylor’s alleged double chin, Richard Burton was sometimes less than chivalrous.

She was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women of the 20th century, but he once declared: ‘She has an incipient double chin, her legs are too short and she has a slight pot belly.’