I live in Los Feliz. I’m on Zoom a lot. And my side profile bugged me. Not huge. Just that soft puff under my chin that showed up in car selfies and Skype calls. I wanted a cleaner line. Not a new face. Just less shadow under there.
So I tried Kybella in Los Angeles. Twice. Here’s how it went for me.
I’d already devoured a full blow-by-blow from another Angeleno—this candid Kybella saga—so my expectations were set pretty high.
Why I Picked Kybella (and not lipo or CoolSculpting)
I didn’t want surgery. I didn’t want a suction cup on my neck either. Kybella is shots under the chin that melt fat over time. Then your body clears it out. Kybella is the only FDA-approved injectable treatment that destroys fat cells in the area under the chin to improve your profile. It’s slow, but you’re awake, and you walk out the same day.
Also, summer was coming. I had a cousin’s wedding in Pasadena. Photos everywhere. I wanted help by then. Reading about someone who actually got married at The Ruby Street and spilled all the feels—here’s that story—reminded me how unforgiving cameras can be.
Finding a Place in LA
I did two consults. For anyone hunting around town, an extra layer of local intel lives at To Live and Eat in LA, where beauty fixes meet neighborhood life in one scroll.
- LaserAway in West Hollywood: fast check-in, bright lights, very “LA” vibe. The nurse showed me the Kybella grid and said I’d likely need 2 sessions, maybe 2 vials first round. Price per vial: $700 with a promo.
- A derm office near Beverly Hills (Dr. Emer’s team did my consult): a bit pricier, but I liked how they mapped my chin and jaw. They took side photos and explained swelling in plain words. Price: $750 per vial.
Parking note (because, LA): WeHo had a meter on Melrose that ate my card. The BH office had valet, which was actually worth it the day it rained.
I went with the BH office. It felt calm, not sales-y. Plus, they had blankets. I love a clinic with blankets.
The Day of the Shots
They put numbing cream on for about 20 minutes. Felt like minty frosting. I got little purple dots under my chin in a grid. Then the shots—quick pokes, maybe 20 to 25 of them. It stung for a minute. Then it felt warm. Like chili oil under the skin. Not awful, but spicy.
I did 2 vials that day. We iced for 10 minutes. I took an Uber home because my neck felt puffy and I didn’t feel like dealing with traffic on Wilshire.
Pain level? A 4 out of 10 for me. The heat faded in an hour.
The Bullfrog Week (Yes, You Will Swell)
This part is real. You swell. You look like you ate a whole baguette at midnight and forgot to swallow.
- Day 1: Swollen but funny-cute. I wore a scarf even though it was 80 degrees. Uber driver did a double take. Whatever.
- Day 2: Peak puff. I worked from home. Zoom from a high angle. I put a cold pack under my jaw while I answered emails. I talked less because it felt tight.
- Day 3: Still puffy, but softer. A little bruising that looked like a bean under my chin. Concealer helped.
- Days 4–7: Swelling went down. But it felt firm and numb. Like a soft shell. Not painful. Just weird.
I slept on two pillows the first two nights. No hard workouts for three days. Chewed slowly because deep chewing felt sore.
Weeks 2–6: The Slow Burn
Week 2: The numb patch was still there. I kept touching it in the grocery line like a weirdo. Don’t do that.
Week 3: I caught my side profile in the car mirror. Looked less puffy. A tiny bit cleaner at the angle where my necklace sits.
Week 4: My friend in Silver Lake asked if I lost weight. I hadn’t. But my hoodie string fell straight instead of curving over that little pad under my chin. Small thing, big grin.
Week 6: The line was better. Not sharp-sharp. But better.
Round Two (Because One Wasn’t Enough for Me)
Eight weeks later, I did a second session. This time we used 1 vial. Less swelling. Still puffy for two days, then fine. Same numb patch, smaller area.
Three months in total? That’s when it hit. In clinical trials, 68.2% of subjects treated with Kybella were ≥ 1-grade composite responders, compared with 20.5% of subjects treated with placebo. My before-and-after photos were not fake TV stuff. But I saw it. FaceTime screenshots told the truth. I even stopped tilting my chin up for every pic. Well… most pics.
What It Cost Me
- Session 1: 2 vials at $750 each = $1,500
- Session 2: 1 vial at $750
- Valet twice: $24 total
- Arnica gel and ice packs: $18
- Total: about $2,292
LA is pricey. No shock there.
Side Effects I Felt
- Swelling like a bullfrog for 2–3 days
- Numbness for about 3 weeks each time
- Firm spots under the chin that slowly softened
- Light bruise once (pea-sized, easy to hide)
No trouble swallowing, no weird lumps after it settled. If you get anything off, call your provider. I’m just sharing my story.
Little Things That Helped
- Book it on a Friday. Trust me.
- Ice packs in 10-minute bursts. Don’t press hard.
- High-neck tops or a scarf for two days. Cute and helpful.
- No salty food or drinks the first night. I skipped wine. Hard, but worth it.
- Ask if they can add a touch of lidocaine. It made it easier for me.
- Bring earbuds. Music helps during the pokes.
Bonus mood booster: treating myself to fresh stems from a neighborhood shop I discovered through this Palms florist roundup—nothing distracts from chin puff like a vase packed with ranunculus.
Stuff I Wish I Knew Before
- The numb, firm feeling lasts longer than the swelling. It’s normal, but it messes with your head. Be patient.
- Photos every week help you see change. Daily pics are just… mean.
- If your skin is very loose, you may need other help too. Kybella kills fat; it doesn’t tighten skin a lot.
- Some injectors treat tiny jowls; that’s a different plan. I stuck to under the chin.
So… Did I Like It?
Yep. I’m happy. It didn’t change my face. It just cleaned up the part that bugged me. I still use good angles. I still love a chunky sweater. But my jaw looks neater in light and in selfies. I feel more like me.
Feeling more confident about my profile also nudged me back into the L.A. dating pool—if you’re curious to see how other local girls are living their best lives (or maybe meet someone new), take a scroll through this gallery of local girls where you can browse genuine profiles and potentially spark up connections that appreciate your refreshed look.
Prefer to meet potential matches face-to-face instead of through a screen? Check out these lively speed-dating events in Rialto where you can cycle through fun, timed conversations and walk away with real-world chemistry in just one evening.
Would I do it again? If the area needed it, sure. My plan is to keep my weight steady and see how it holds.
Who I Think It’s Good For
- You have a small to medium pocket under the chin.
- Your weight is fairly stable.
- You can handle a puffy weekend.
- You want a slow, steady change, not a big, fast jump.
If you try it, pick someone who does this a lot. Ask to see their real photos. Ask about swelling, dose, and how many vials they think you’ll need. Ask how they mark the grid. If they rush, that’s a flag.
You know what? Kybella in LA felt very LA—parking stress, iced green tea in the lobby, and a scarf in June. But the result? Worth it for me. I catch my profile in the Trader Joe’s freezer door now and don’t wince. That’s a win I can feel.