Future Applications of Deoxycholic Acid in Body Contouring

Deoxycholic acid (KybellaTM, Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Irvine, CA) is a novel injectable treatment used for the cosmetic reduction of redundant submental fat. By inducing adipose cell lysis, the soft tissue alteration induces subsequent contour change and sharpening of the cervicomental angle.The safety and efficacy have been well established in several prospective clinical trials and subsequent FDA approval for this purpose. This has provided an effective and less invasive alternative to surgical liposuction with virtually no recovery time and less overall discomfort. Given its success for use in this context, a logical step would be to extrapolate to other regions of the body where cosmetic deformity is caused by excessive adipose tissue. In the current article, the authors propose potential options for further use in various targeted areas where subcutaneous fat may be amenable to reduction with deoxycholic acid injection, understanding that such uses would be off-label and require an understanding of the regional anatomy and possible complications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(1):43-46.