Kybella is administered by injection into the area of undesired fat. Each treatment takes approximately 15 minutes. Topical numbing medications are applied for patient comfort. Multiple small injections with a small needle is used to administer the acid. Many patients see visible results after 2 – 4 treatment sessions, but up to 6 separate treatment sessions may be needed in some patients for optimal results. Each treatment should be spaced 5-6 weeks apart.

A temporary grid is placed on the area to be treated allowing injections to be precise. Then, the area is numbed using small numbing injections. Once numb, Kybella is injected. Multiple small injections are required to disperse the medicine evenly for a smooth result.

Once injected, it starts to break apart the fat cells right away. Due to this mechanism of fat breakdown, there is some inflammation associated with the injection which is cooled down by using ice. Destruction of fat cells will cause some swelling as well. Within 15 minutes, it is no longer active, and its effect on the fat cells is complete. The amount of swelling one gets is variable, but in general, the bigger the treated area, the more swelling one gets.