FaceTite vs. Surgery: Is Non-Surgical Enough for a Double Chin?

Submental fullness — the technical term for a double chin — has more than one real solution, and which one actually fits depends on factors you can't judge from a mirror alone. Here's how the non-surgical option compares honestly to surgical alternatives.

How FaceTite actually works

FaceTite is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers bipolar radiofrequency energy beneath the skin's surface through a small cannula, without general anaesthesia. The energy heats the underlying tissue, aiming to disrupt fat cells and stimulate collagen activity in the surrounding dermis at the same time — addressing both fat and skin laxity in a single procedure rather than treating them separately.

Most candidates are treated in a single session, taking roughly 20 minutes. Skin tightening is progressive: many patients see continued improvement over the weeks and months following treatment as tissue responds, rather than an immediate dramatic change on the day.

FaceTite vs. Kybella: two non-surgical paths

These are commonly confused, but they solve different parts of the problem:

• Kybella is an injectable that targets fat only, and typically requires a series of sessions to see full effect.
• FaceTite uses radiofrequency energy and is designed to address fat and skin laxity together, generally in a single treatment.

Which one applies depends on whether your submental fullness is mostly fat, mostly loose skin, or (most commonly) some combination of both.

When surgery is actually the better answer

Being honest about limitations matters here. Non-surgical treatments like FaceTite are minimally invasive with typically reduced downtime compared to surgical alternatives — but "reduced downtime" isn't the same as "equivalent result" for every case. Significant, longstanding skin laxity, especially in older patients or after major weight loss, sometimes genuinely needs a surgical approach to achieve the result someone is picturing. This is exactly the kind of judgment call that shouldn't be made from a webpage — it needs an in-person assessment of your specific anatomy, skin quality, and goals.

Why the assessment matters more than the technology

At Monarch MD, both FaceTite and surgical options are available, and Dr. Akbari — a Double Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon who has personally performed over 750 submental procedures across both surgical and non-surgical approaches — discusses which option, if any, actually fits your case rather than defaulting to whichever treatment a clinic happens to sell. That range of experience is what makes an honest "surgery vs. non-surgical" conversation possible in the first place; a clinic that only offers one option can't really have that conversation with you.

Outcomes vary between patients, and no specific result or duration can be promised for any procedure — factors like anatomy, skin condition, age, and healing response all play a role. You can learn more on our FaceTite page.

References

• Health Canada & FDA clearance information for bipolar radiofrequency-assisted lipolysis devices (RFAL).
• American Society for Dermatologic Surgery — patient guide to non-surgical skin tightening and submental fullness treatments. asds.net ↗

This article is general information and is not medical advice. FaceTite and surgical alternatives carry different risks and are not appropriate for every patient. Candidacy should be assessed in person by a qualified physician.