BALA CYNWYD -
More and more women who say they've tried everything in the book to hide their double chins are now turning to doctors to do something about it.
Linda B. James is one of those women who says she's tried every trick, from changing her hairstyle to chin and mouth exercises, just to camouflage her double chin.
"I wear my hair this way because of that reason," James told FOX 29's Joyce Evans.
You can't defy gravity, but you can certainly put up a good fight.
"We see a lot of different shapes and sizes of necks," cosmetic surgeon Dr. Paul Glat said.
Dr. Glat has an arsenal of weapons to attack all types of necks, from the most mild to the most severe case, commonly known as "turkey neck."
For James, it's not turkey time just yet, but Dr. Glat says she's on her way.
"I'm trying to nip it in the bud right now, stop gravity, stop the clock, turn back the clock," James said.
Dr. Glat will start the procedure by making a small incision. James can stay awake the entire time, but she is medicated to dull the pain of what has become a hugely popular lip and laser combo treatment.
While James gets mellow, the doctor gears up to go into the chin, first by loading it with fluid to soften the fat and numb the area.
It can be hard to watch, as Dr. Glat must navigate through neck and facial nerves.
After that, it's time to break out the laser, which will blast throughout the fatty tissue of James' neck and jaw line.
The heat that is used is carefully monitored and regulated throughout the procedure.
"Now, we'll do our skin tightening in the neck and then pull a little fat out of there and we're done."
The heat tightens the skin to prevent sagging and to help regenerate the collagen.
Quickly, you can already see a difference.
James will have to wear a head dressing to help with the healing, but Dr. Glat says she won't feel much pain.
Nearly a month later, James' neck has tightened up and the little pocket of fat that was right underneath her chin is just about gone.
She can now stop wearing the head gear, but it will be months before her defined jaw line re-appears.
"I think it really stopped the clock and I feel 20 years younger when I look at my profile. I'm very, very happy with the results," James said.
James writes about the aging process and staying fit in her blog, "Turning Back the Clock." You can read her work on her website.
You can read more about Dr. Glat's work on his website.
