The neck is an area on the body that is hard to ignore. You look at it all the time in the mirror and people who make eye contact with you most often see your neck as well. When a double chin develops, surgery is often used to remedy the situation. But it can come at the expense of side effects and potential scarring. Non-surgical treatment can also be utilized, which is a much safer choice.
Function
Double chins are the result of several factors. As you age, your skin naturally becomes more lax; you may develop one because of your genes; or it can be the result of excess fat build-up. Genetics is hard to treat, but being overweight is not. A non-surgical treatment focuses on weight loss and strengthening the muscles on the front part of the neck to tone this area and make your double chin less noticeable.
Diet
Eating high amounts of saturated fat, sugar and sodium can lead to weight gain and water retention. Not only can this give you a bloated appearance, but it can also push you further away from your goal to eliminate your double chin. Foods such as burgers, fries, pizza, hot wings, ice cream, white flour products and heavy amounts of cheese and creamed sauces should all be eliminated from your diet. You should stick with high-nutrient foods instead such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains. These foods contain quality sources of protein, carbs and fats. To promote weight loss, you should reduce your daily intake by 250 to 500 caloires. This deficit will help you lose weight throughout your whole body--your double chin included.
Exercise
Exercise can help promote weight loss in your neck even more. Both cardiovascular training and weight training should be performed. Cardio helps burn calories efficiently, and weight training helps build muscle, which can help increase your caloric expenditure when you are resting. You should do cardio for at least 45 minutes three to four times a week and weight training should be done two to three times a week. Your weight-training exercises should focus on the whole body. Chest presses, shoulder presses, back rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and lunges are examples. For cardio, you can do anything that gets your heart rate up and you enjoy. Running, biking, cross-country skiing, racquetball, rowing and cardio dance classes are examples.
Double Chin Exercise
The neck area can actually be targeted with specific exercises as well. The platysma muscle is found right in front of the neck and this is the area you want to focus on. A simple way to exercise this is by tipping your head back and looking straight at the ceiling. As you do this, jut your lower jaw up and down and feel the platysma muscle working. You can do 12 to 15 reps and three or more sets of these, one to three times a day. A tennis ball can also be utilized to work your neck. Pinch it to your chest with your chin, then alternate opening and closing your mouth twelve to fifteen times.
Theories/Speculation
An experimental non-surgical treatment is available for double chins. It is an alternative to liposuction and it is called "lipodissolve." With this treatment, an injection of chemicals is delivered to the neck area to help break up the fat cells that have accumulated. Because this chemical formula is created by the individual doctor who is treating the case, it does not have FDA approval as a treatment.
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