Belkyra
Dealing with a double chin? We can help.
Men and women across all age groups complain about fat pockets underneath their chin because it makes them look older and heavier, and robs them of confidence in their appearance. Double chins often resist dieting and exercise, and can be caused by aging, genetics or weight gain.
There’s a new kid on the block. Meet BELKYRA™, the latest addition to the Allergan family. (The makers of Botox and Juvederm). BELKYRA™ is, a non-surgical treatment that improves the appearance and profile of double chins and was recently launched in the U.S. under the brand name KYBELLA™. the same product is available in Canada as Belkyra Injectable™. BELKYRA™ is now available at Laser Spa Group, Hamilton’s leading medical esthetics clinic.
What BELKYRA™ is
BELKYRA™ is a synthetic chemical substance that can be found naturally in the human body is smaller quantities. The active ingredient in BELKYRA™ is deoxycholate, which has been used in non-surgical cosmetic treatments for the reduction of localized areas of fat for over a decade, both in Europe and North America. Deoxycholate is one of the body’s naturally occurring bile salts. When injected into fat layers underneath the chin, BELKYRA™ causes the destruction of fat cells. Once destroyed, those cells cannot store or accumulate fat.
Belkyra™ was released in Canada in 2016 as a new way to get rid of chin fat (referred to medically as submental fullness). In fact, it’s the only method approved by Health Canada for getting rid of a double chin without surgery.
How it works
Similar to facial fillers, an injectable liquid is inserted into the fat under the chin, and then breaks down the unwanted fat. A lecithin-type of chemical, it disrupts the cell membrane of fat cells releasing the content and gently smoothing out the cell pockets until your double chin is a thing of the past. Your body has significant capacity to remove free fatty acids and glycerol, safely and effectively. Once the contents are released they travel back to your liver for processing or through your kidneys for natural elimination.
With a few treatments over time double chins can be significantly reduced or eliminated. Imagine your double chin gone!
Many patients experienced visible results in two to four treatments, although up to six treatments may be administered. Once the goal is reached, re-treatment is not expected.
Before and After
Frequently Asked Questions
- You have extra fat under your chin that doesn’t respond to diet or exercise
- You are healthy and not pregnant
- You want a cleaner jawline and more confidence in your appearance
If you have excessively lax skin on your neck and have no subcutaneous fat, or have “turkey neck”, this treatment is not for you. Other treatments such our non-surgical skin tightening EndyMed 3 Deep may be right for you.
BELKYRA can be combined with procedures that enhance the appearance of the neck such as IPL and Skin Tightening.
BELKYRA™ is not approved for use anywhere else on the face or body. Laser Spa Group offers a variety of other treatments treatments to address excessive fat on the body like CoolSculpting for body areas that may need attention.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not any injections. People with liver or heart problems are unlikely candidates for BELKYRA™, and those with lax or excess skin may be better candidates for laser treatments or liposuction.
With any cosmetic treatments there can be complications. Deoxycholic acid doesn’t recognize what cells it needs to destroy, so if the injection isn’t done properly by an experienced physician or registered nurse, there is a risk. At Laser Spa Group our registered nurse will be injecting BELKYRA™ and is highly qualified with many years of experience.
If BELKYRA™ isn’t properly injected it can destroy non-fat cells causing skin cell damage, nerve injury or facial muscle weakness.
BELKYRA™ is an injectable like facial fillers and Botox. You will have a numbing cream on the area to be treated and any pain you feel will be similar to other injectables.
There is hardly any downtime related to your treatment, and as long as you avoid strenuous exercise for a few days you can resume your normal day-to-day activities immediately.
Our nurse will prepare the treatment area with a numbing agent. A transparent grid of where the injections will be completed is placed on your chin as a guide for the injector. BELKYRA™ injections are delivered through a very fine needle and sessions typically take between 25 and 45 minutes. After the injection you are likely to experience numbness that takes between one and three hours to wear off. You will likely feel discomfort under the chin lasting for several hours. Most swelling is gone 48 hours after the injection, but numbness or tenderness can last up to two months.
The manufacturer of BELKYRA™ also advises that you might experience a small amount of burning or discomfort and temporary bruising at the injection site right after your treatment, no different than any other injectable treatment. Your downtime will be minimal and you can return to your regular day immediately. In the following weeks BELKYRA™will work on dissolving the excess fat under your chin
Lipodissolve is a trademarked term used to describe non-surgical fat dissolving through injectable concoctions made by pharmacists. These can be entirely safe, medically-reviewed however Belkyra is the only brand that is actually Health Canada approved.
The term “Lipodissolve” is used very loosely ‘out there.’ There have been many false claims about substances being injected into people while using this term.
On that note, “Lipodissolve” can also be referred to as injection lipolysis, Lipostabil, lipotherapy, lipozap and mesotherapy.
Whatever you want to call them, Lipodissolve injections are not meant to replace diet and exercise. They can’t help with obesity. However, they are purported to reduce excess fat in small, localized areas of the body.
These injections usually contain phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate as fat-dissolvers. However, they can be combined with other things. Mixins can include enzymes, vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids (like L-carnitine) that are touted as being beneficial for weight loss. Some can even include hormones, antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.
All of these solutions aim to kill off fat cells through internal chemical reactions. Ideally, these chemical processes would mimic your own body’s response to excess fat, by ‘burning’ it away, so-to-speak.
Targeted fat takes weeks or months to dissipate after injection sessions. This is because it takes time for the body to dispose of the destroyed fat cells (through urine or stool).
Multiple treatments are typically needed to see results. These are spaced about one month apart.
When we mentioned Health Canada approvals for Lipodissolve products above, we were mainly speaking of Belkyra. This injectable deoxycholic acid fluid goes by the name Kybella® in the United States, where it is also FDA approved. Officially, it is designed to get rid of a double chin, otherwise known as submental fullness.
Belkyra™ is used in much the same way as Lipodissolve. It was groundbreaking in its release because it could pass approval by governmental authorities in North America. It is a standardized formulation made by Allergan, a reputable drug company that also makes Botox and Juvederm for beauty-related dermal injections.
At present, Belkyra is designated for use under the chin only. However, it can be used as an off-label, fat-removal treatment on any other area of the body. Though, we would warn that any cosmetic injection should only be done by a trained physician or nurse.
The short answer is: yes! A trained doctor can use Belkyra™ for fat removal anywhere on the body, where it would be appropriate to do so.
Belkyra™ can also be used to enhance the effects of other non-surgical fat removal procedures.
Now, the crux of the matter is this: should you use Lipodissolve or other non-surgical fat removal methods? For example, today, we have options such as cryolipolysis fat freezing with CoolSculpting. Or, we can use hot sculpting (fat melting) with Fotona.
In our experience, Lipodissolve is a much older method compared to modern-day technologies like CoolSculpting. The latter are much more effective at getting rid of love handles, tummy fat, thigh fat etc. They can be used on large areas of the body, eliminating the need for tiny, meticulous injections. You can read or relax during their treatment sessions, too.
The other advantage to CoolSculpting® is that they work under your skin, without needle pokes. This makes them even less invasive than Lipodissolve.
It’s true that technician training is essential to any good fat removal treatment. However, there is less that could likely go wrong when using these technologies.
That said, CoolSculpting® does have their own sets of disclaimers, warnings and potential side effects. These are usually rare, related to allergies, or are expected (like mild swelling and numbness after treatments). They can go away on their own. You can read more about these technologies at their aforementioned links.
Cost-wise, it’s not incredibly more money to opt for machines to remove fat, versus using Lipodissolve or Belkyra™. Both types of treatments require multiple sessions to be effective. And, results can depend on your own body’s reaction, regardless.
Ultimately, an experienced Medical Aesthetic Provider should be recommending a solution for your case. Sometimes, Belkyra™ is the best fit. Other times, you’ll probably get a lot more out of CoolSculpting®.
