Cholic Acid (CA): The Fat-Dissolving Ingredient in Clean Cut Injections
Cholic Acid (CA): The Fat-Dissolving Ingredient — Clean Cut Fat-Reduction Injections | SHIO Clinic: NUVIJU
Some people exercise regularly and watch their diet, yet the area beneath their chin hardly changes. Even when the rest of the face becomes slimmer, a double chin may remain noticeable in photographs.
A double chin is not simply a matter of weight gain. Fat distribution, skin firmness, and genetics often contribute together, so weight loss alone may not produce the desired change.
Various non-surgical treatments are now used to address fat beneath the chin. Among them, NUVIJU, approved by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), is attracting attention as a new option.
Today, SHIO Clinic explains what NUVIJU is, how it acts on fat, and how it differs from conventional fat-dissolving injections.
📌 Contents
01. Why a Double Chin Can Persist Despite Exercise
02. What Is NUVIJU?
03. How It Works: What Is Cholic Acid (CA)?
04. Cholic Acid (CA) vs. Deoxycholic Acid (DCA)
05. Who Might Consider It?
06. When Can Changes Be Expected?
07. Precautions to Know Before Treatment
08. SHIO Clinic’s Approach to Double-Chin Treatment
01. Why a Double Chin Can Persist Despite Exercise
“I’ve lost weight, but my chin looks the same.” This is something we often hear during consultations.
Fat is lost at different rates in different parts of the body. The area beneath the chin can accumulate fat readily and may be one of the last areas to change with weight loss.
Reduced skin firmness and the structure of the jawline can also make a double chin remain visible even after weight loss.
Ordinary dieting reduces the size of fat cells by using their stored fat for energy. It does not remove the cells themselves, so they can enlarge again if weight increases.
For this reason, localized fat beneath the chin may not improve as much as desired through exercise and diet alone.
02. What Is NUVIJU?
NUVIJU is an injectable treatment for submental fat developed by the Korean biotechnology company Medytox through approximately seven years of research and clinical studies. In 2025, it received MFDS approval as Korea’s 40th domestically developed new drug, with an indication for moderate to severe submental fat in adults.
It is a prescription medicine approved to improve a double chin, rather than a treatment intended to reduce fat across the entire face.
03. How It Works: What Is Cholic Acid (CA)?
NUVIJU’s key ingredient is cholic acid (CA).
Cholic acid is a bile acid naturally present in the body and is involved in the digestion and absorption of fat.
NUVIJU is designed to use cholic acid to act on fat cells beneath the chin.
Damaged fat cells are gradually cleared through the body’s natural metabolic processes, allowing changes in the jawline to develop over time.
Fat does not disappear immediately after treatment. Changes occur gradually as the body’s metabolic processes take place.
Results can vary depending on the amount of fat, skin condition, and lifestyle.
04. Cholic Acid (CA) vs. Deoxycholic Acid (DCA)
Most conventional fat-dissolving injections for double-chin treatment have used deoxycholic acid (DCA).
DCA has a strong fat-cell-destroying effect, but its relatively strong surfactant action can be associated with swelling, pain, and bruising after treatment.
NUVIJU uses cholic acid (CA), which belongs to the same bile-acid family. With relatively lower surfactant activity, it was developed to reduce irritation to surrounding tissues and formulated with a pH close to that of the human body in mind.
Its formulation was also redesigned to exclude certain chemical excipients that may irritate the skin.
The degree of swelling and pain can still vary, and not every patient will respond in the same way.
05. Who Might Consider It?
✔ People whose submental fat persists despite exercise and dietary management
✔ People concerned about a double chin despite being at a normal weight
✔ People seeking a non-surgical approach
✔ People concerned about swelling or recovery time with previous fat-dissolving injections
✔ People who need to return to daily activities promptly because of important commitments
If sagging skin is the main cause, a lifting treatment may be more appropriate than fat reduction. It is important to assess fat volume and skin firmness together.
06. When Can Changes Be Expected?
NUVIJU does not produce an immediate result. Time is needed for the injected ingredient to act on fat cells and for the damaged cells to be naturally metabolized by the body.
Changes can generally be expected to develop gradually over several weeks, with differences depending on fat volume and metabolic rate. The number of sessions needed also varies, making a treatment plan based on a thorough consultation important.
07. Precautions to Know Before Treatment
Even with an MFDS-approved prescription medicine, every treatment carries the possibility of adverse reactions.
Temporary swelling, pain, bruising, or firmness may occur after treatment, and individual responses vary.
In the following circumstances, consult your clinician before deciding whether to proceed:
✔ Pregnancy or breastfeeding
✔ Inflammation or infection at the treatment site
✔ A blood-clotting disorder or use of anticoagulant medication
✔ A previous adverse reaction to fat-dissolving injections
Above all, a thorough consultation and precise assessment are necessary to determine whether the treatment is suitable for you.
08. SHIO Clinic’s Approach to Double-Chin Treatment
A double chin often cannot be addressed simply by removing fat.
Fat thickness, skin firmness, jaw structure, and facial proportions need to be considered together to aim for a natural, balanced result.
Fat-reduction treatment may help when excess fat is present. If skin sagging is also involved, combining it with lifting treatment can sometimes produce a more satisfying result.
Treatment is increasingly focused on finding the most suitable approach for each person’s face, rather than simply asking how much fat can be removed.
Removing too much fat can make skin sagging more noticeable.
At SHIO Clinic, we carefully assess each person’s fat volume, skin firmness, and facial shape before suggesting a suitable plan. The causes of a double chin differ from person to person, so precise assessment is the starting point for a satisfying result.
This article is adapted from SHIO Clinic's official Naver blog.
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