Function

• While a double chin is almost always caused by a layer of fat, that fat is not necessarily a product of being overweight. It is a genetic function in many cases. A double chin can also be caused by poor circulation. Poor posture or habitual chin tucking can also lead to the formation of a double chin.
  
  

Features

• If you have a small chin, then you are more likely to develop a double chin because that part of your face is not so pronounced. They tend to be fleshy and wobbly.
  
  

Effects

• A double chin can have some serious side effects outside of cosmetic considerations. Many people with double chins have difficulty breathing, particularly at night. While small double chins are mainly a cosmetic problem, larger ones, or multiple chins can create serious mobility problems and even affect your ability to drive safely.
  
  

Types

• Double chins come in several varieties. Small double chins are often caused by swelling in the neck area due to poor circulation. These may appear more like lumps and can even be tender to the touch. Other, more wattled types are often a result of weak muscles underneath the chin that allow the skin and fat to hang rather than stick closely to the body. Left untreated, these chins can stretch and require surgery to repair them. Finally, if your body is prone to storing store fat in this area, then you can have a double chin even if you are not particularly overweight.
  
  

Misconceptions

• You do not have to be fat to have a double chin.
  
  Because obese people so often have multiple chins, many people just assume that a double chin is an indication that they are overweight. However, just losing weight will almost never get rid of a double chin because the skin will have stretched out while the chin existed. You must also exercise the muscles in that area of your body so that they will hold the skin and flesh tightly to the underside of your chin.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• If you would like to get rid of your double chin, you will need some perseverance. Even if you opt for plastic surgery and liposuction, which is probably the "easiest" way to be rid of your double chin, the procedure is expensive, painful and risky. If poor circulation is the problem, then massaging your double chin area can increase blood flow and decrease swelling. Because some double chins are a result of weak muscles in the neck area, you can also try chin exercises to tone up the flesh underneath your neck. Correct posture can also help repair and prevent double chins.