A Kybella testimonial – the day of the Kybella Injection

Did Kybella hurt? Was Kybella Worth it? Our staff member gets Kybella injections for the very first time!  I asked her to write me a blurb about her experience the day of her Kybella injection.  This is a great recounting of the Kybella experience.

Ok, Dr. Lee! I did it! It might be a tad long, but it is exactly as I remember the experience, loaded with 100% honesty! Better to be a bit longer and cover every detail so our patients are well prepared for their own experience I guess. Of course, I am happy to shorten it or make any changes you need me to make. 🙂 See below. Hope you enjoy it.

Also, you are welcome to use my real name. I give my express permission.
🙂

Day 0. Kybella Injection Day.

I knew I wanted Kybella the moment I heard about it.  My family, especially the women, suffer from genetic submental fullness.  Short, tall, skinny, full… we all have a double chin.  To learn of a non-surgical permanent option to treat my double chin after a lifetime of thinking I’d have to tolerate it forever was very exciting . The problem was… injections… needles…aah!  I am NOT a needle person.
Like so many, the thought of an injection makes me very uneasy.  On top of that, I have what I believe to be a very low pain tolerance.  But I could do this…maybe…someday.

I’ve had the great honor of watching Dr. Lee perform the procedure many times on various patients and finally, my day had come. We had a Kybella event in the office and he needed one more volunteer for a live demo.  Reluctantly, I said I’d do it.  Now or never!  Seize the day!

I sat in the procedure chair with a smile on my face for the audience watching, secretly regretting my decision.  My heart was thumping, my head was aching, and I was feeling light headed.  I knew I was in very capable hands as I trust Dr. Lee whole heartedly, but those needles!  Dr. Lee applied the temporary tattoo to my chin that helps to guide hisnjections.  He counted the dots, 34.  I’d have to endure 34 injections.  My heart thumped even harder.  I iced the area some more with a fresh ice pack, hoping to numb myself entirely.  “Ok, here we go!” he said.

I pulled the ice pack off and held my breath.  I felt nothing. I knew he had started injecting, but there was no pain.  He asked me aloud for the audience to hear, “What is your pain level on a scale of 1 to 10?”  I answered with, “0.”  About half way through as the cold from the ice started to fade, I could barely feel the pinch of the needles.  I could feel that he was injecting, but only very lightly.

The area that had already been injected started to burn a bit.  The Kybella had started working, breaking open those fat cells right away.  The pain isn’t intense at all.  To me, it felt like a strained muscle after a hard workout.  He asked me again for my pain level. “Maybe a 2” I replied. The pain builds for a short time and as he makes his way across the chin area, but for myself it never passed a 2.

When he was done with all 34 Kybella injections my pain remained at a 2 for about 10 more minutes until it started to fade.  I was so proud of myself for having done it.  The anticipation was by far the scariest part.

The area felt very tender to the touch and started to swell right away. A dull pain remained for the rest of the night and I didn’t want to touch it as it was extremely sensitive to pressure.  Even gently applying an ice pack was too much.  As long as I left it alone, I was OK.  The pain was inside, on the outside the skin was entirely numb.  It was an odd sensation.  The swelling continued to worsen and by bed time, I was happy I had borrowed a scarf from a co-worker just in case I had to leave the house the next day.

 

Stay tuned for Day 1 – the day AFTER Kybella injections.