An innovative needle-free treatment is being offered at cosmetic clinics across the UK which experts say can remove double chins in just 20 minutes.
The £1,000 procedure tones neck fat using a pad placed under the chin that emits high-intensity electromagnetic energy.
This means that it uses pulses of energy to activate the nerves that control the neck muscle.
This causes it to contract spontaneously, effectively acting as an exercise that tones the chin area and reduces sagging skin.
Some doctors claim it mimics the effect of 20,000 sit-ups in a 30-minute session.
Studies show that the same painless technology is highly effective in reducing fat around the abdomen and improving muscle definition.
BEFORE AND AFTER: Louise Tarbuck didn’t reveal her secret but now she feels much more confident
Now doctors are using the device, called EMFACE Submentum, to combat double chins, which they say could improve the lives of countless people in the UK.
One of the first places in the country to offer the procedure is Aesthetically You, a skin clinic in Liverpool, which has carried out the treatment on 50 patients.
Experts say the device could be transformative. “I’ve been using this technology for over a decade and this device is the most effective version yet,” says Dr Rita Rakus, a cosmetic surgeon in London.
“For most patients who want to get rid of a double chin, I would recommend this procedure over an invasive procedure. It is very effective and has little to no side effects.”
Studies suggest that nearly four in five people say they feel self-conscious about their neck fat, also known as submental fullness.
The problem of sagging skin is more common in overweight people. However, it also becomes a bigger problem as people age because the skin loses its elasticity.
Other options include liposuction, which is an invasive operation that involves making an incision in the chin and removing the fat by suctioning it out through a surgical tube.
Patients may also undergo a neck lift, which involves tightening the skin under the chin. This is done using small clips, called sutures, that are attached to the edges of the neck muscle (the digastric muscle) to shorten it and bring the skin of the chin closer to the neck.
However, these procedures are not without risks. Liposuction often causes bruising and swelling, as well as numbness of the skin. In some cases, patients experience serious side effects, such as bleeding and infections.
In addition, patients also have to be given general anesthesia, which means they often spend the night in the hospital.
But the new EMFACE procedure is much faster and carries far fewer risks. In addition to electromagnetic energy, the chin pad also uses another type of energy, called synchronized radiofrequency, which research shows can also help combat sagging skin. Patients are advised to undergo four 20-minute sessions, spaced seven to ten days apart.
The procedure usually costs £250 per session.
Michelle McLean of Aesthetically You says many patients notice a positive change after one session, with best results typically seen after 90 days. In a clinical trial conducted by EMFACE, the technology was shown to reduce facial wrinkles by approximately 27 percent in three months.
In 2018, the company launched its EMsculpt, which uses the same electrical energy technology to combat belly fat.
Studies suggest that EMsculpt can reduce the depth of the fat layer covering the stomach by up to 20 percent, or 3.4 mm on average. A similar trial in the US is underway to evaluate the efficacy of EMFACE in reducing excess fat in the chin.
One patient who has benefited is Louise Tarbuck, a florist from Liverpool who began the treatment in March this year.
The procedure, called EMFACE, refines and tones neck fat using a pad placed under the chin that emits high-intensity electromagnetic energy.
Louise, 45, spent years suffering from low self-confidence due to her double chin.
Her insecurities grew to the point where she was afraid to go out or exercise because she was embarrassed by her chin.
“When I heard about EMFACE I thought, ‘Well, I’ll try it, I can only try it,'” he says.
“And to be honest, I was completely blown away, even after the first session, so it was brilliant and I thought I’d continue.”
She finished the treatment in mid-April and now feels like a “completely different” woman. She says the procedure was painless and had no side effects.
“Nobody knew I had been anywhere,” she says. “But a couple of weeks later, someone said, ‘Oh, your face has gotten really thin, you’ve lost a lot of weight.'”
Her husband has also noticed her growing confidence.
“When I was photographed, I would always put my hand under my chin to hide what was there,” she says. “Now I don’t do that anymore, I just smile.”
