A new injectable drug designed to eliminate double chins without surgery was unanimously recommended for approval by a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee this week . The drug , currently known as ATX-101 , now only needs to receive final FDA approval before it becomes available to the public . Unlike current double chin surgeries , which require doctors to 'cut it out or suck it out , ' ATX-101 will be a 'noninvasive , in-the-office procedure , ' according to Dr. Susan Weinkle . Scroll down for video . A dermatologist prepares the injection site for ATX-101 , a new injectable drug designed to eliminate double chins without surgery that was unanimously recommended for approval by an FDA advisory committee . ATX-101 works by eliminating the membrane of fat cells underneath the double chin . This causes the fat cell to burst , destroying it permanently . Side-effects include short-term swelling , bruising and numbness . Weinkle , a dermatologist who has been working with ATX-101 since 2007 , said many people have fat underneath the chin , even if 'they 're not fat in the rest of their body ' , she told ABC News . To insert the drug , Weinkle marks the area where she sees the 'max amount of fat ' with a grid of tiny dots , which act as the injection sites for the ATX-101 . Weinkle says the procedure only takes about five minutes and patients heal in two to three days - and do n't even need to wear a bandage . The drug is a formulation of deoxycholic acid , a 'naturally occurring molecule ' that helps our bodies break down the fat we receive from food , according to manufacturer KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals . Dr. Derek Jones , who presented ATX-101 to the FDA , said the drug destroys the membrane of the fat cells underneath the double chin . The ATX-101 treatment only takes five minutes to administer and two to three days to heal . This causes the fat cell to burst . Its remains are naturally absorbed back into the body , while the cell is destroyed permanently . As with any drug , there are side effects . They include short-lasting swelling , bruising and numbness that was found to be 'mild to moderate ' , according to dermatologist Adam M. Rotunda . Fleeting pain at the site of the injections was also reported . Rotunda noted in the trials that the intensity of the side effects decreased with each additional treatment session , he told Dermatology Times . Although the drug reaches its maximum desired effect if the patient undergoes six treatments spaced a month apart , Rotunda said he does not believe 'most patients ' will require that many . Rotunda said ATX-101 could be a game-changer in terms of what dermatologists can do when patients are worried about their neck . 'We 've been accustomed to addressing patient aesthetic concerns primarily from the chin up , ' he told Dermatology Times . 'However , the neck ... is critical in framing the lower half of the face and creating our profile . Changes in the neck as we age or gain weight can have profound effect on our self-esteem . ' The drug is a formulation of deoxycholic acid , a 'naturally occurring molecule ' that helps our bodies break down the fat we receive from food , according to manufacturer KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals . Dr. Michael Edwards , president of the Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery , said not everyone is a good candidate for the drug . He told NBC News he worries that , after ATX-101 is approved , people will use the drug to try and fix larger areas of fat . But according to Weinkle , the drug is 'not a weight loss treatment ' and needs to be administered properly so that patients get a 'very even reduction of fat . ' She warns that physicians must 'understand the anatomy ' of the area underneath the chin , which houses delicate nerves that should not be touched . Edward recommends patients only receive the procedure from trained 'board certified experts ' . ATX-101 has been tested in 19 clinical studies with 2,600 patients . It will not be covered by insurance and the approximate cost is not yet known .
ATX-101 is a noninvasive , in-office procedure that takes five minutes . Drug is injected in grid of tiny dots where 'max amount of fat ' under chin is . Patients heal in 2-3 days and can walk out without wearing a bandage . Drug destroys membranes of fat cells , causing them to burst and permanently disappear . Side effects include short-term swelling , bruising and numbness . The drug now just needs final Dermatology Times approval .