Belkyra  is prescription medication brought to you by Allergan, the makers of Botox® Double chin treatment has been made so much easier  with his new treatment.  Derived from the humble soyabean, it is a synthetic version of deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid  is a NATURALLY occurring substance  found in all of us, that helps breakdown and absorb fat. 

Rarer side effects have been reported including

• Temporary weakness/ asymmetry of the smile due to injury to the marginal mandibular nerve  
• Difficulty swallowing.

Belkyra works to destroys the fat cells, when it is injected into the under chin fat.  This results in a slimmer sculpted jawline. Belkyra works best if you have moderate to severe  fullness associated with submental fat,  perfect for those selfies. 

Belkyra breaks down the membranes of the targeted fat cells which cause  them to collapse. The broken down cells are then processed  and expelled through your body’s normal metabolic system.

Belkyra treatment usually begins with our expert clinical  team  performing  a full facial assessment  at your initial consultations. This will  help them determine what treatment regime is required to achieve optimal.  A treatment appointment will involve a consent process a before treatment itself. Before’ photos will be taken so that the results of the treatment can be tracked.  ‘After’ photos will be taken at later appointments to assess progress. 

The treatment is a relatively quick 30-minute procedure.

First the skin is cleansed and the area is marked out as shown on the diagram below:

A grid of dots is in the form of a temporary tattoo template is applied to the double chin area. Injectable anaesthetic is used to numb the area that will be injected. The dots outside the treatment area are removed before  Belkyra is injected close to each dot. After the injections are completed the dots are washed off.

The only time your are not suitable  for and cannot have treatment of your double chin, is if you have an active infection of the skin under the chin.

There are however other times when you may not be suitable for Belkyra , if you  

• have a lot of loose skin under the chin then it may not be effective.
• are a smoker – smoking slows down healing 
• have diabetes, poor skin quality and have used steroids.

It is therefore important to discuss things in detail with our doctor  prior to receiving treatment.

Ideally this treatment is  best suited if you have  good skin and moderate to severe fat deposits. If you have extreme submental fat or loose skin ( turkey neck) surgical correction is the best option.

Below is a treatment guide that shows a grading scale for double chin(submental) fat.

It ranges from 0 (no localised sub-mental fat) to 4 (extreme submental convexity).

The ideal patient for this treatment is someone who is a grade ‘2’ or ‘3’ on this  scale. (someone with moderate to severe sub-mental fullness).

We recommend that  you have at least 2 treatments  with Belkyra spaced 4-6 weeks apart. Most patients generally require 3-4 treatment sessions  but some require up to 6 treatments to see optimal results. The number of vials used depends on the size of the submental fat area to be  injected: this varies from 1-3 vials 

Studies have revealed that patients see about 50% improvement of 1 grade (see chart of grades of double chin) after 2 treatments  which increased to 72% after 4 treatments.

Males usually require a slightly higher dose of Belkyra^®  and/or more treatment sessions. This means that as a man you may need 3 or 4 vials per treatment compared to an average of 2 vials per treatment for women. The higher dose usually means there may be more swelling. There may also be  hair loss in the treatment area  which usually grows back after 3-6 months.

Belkyra destroys the fat cells permanently! The destroyed cells can no longer store fat, as they are broken down and flushed out by the body. These fat cells can therefore never return .

When you gain weight fat cells expand and when you lose weight they shrink .The fat cells are only destroyed at the injection sites. Some new studies have shown new fat cells can  be produced if you gain weight. 
We therefore recommend a healthy diet and  exercise programme  to maintain a stable weight and avoid new buildup of fatty areas.

Consultation with doctor: $150 this is credited towards the treatments 

$3000 for a package of 2 treatments .  A minimum of two treatments are required at least 8weeks apart  Most patients require 2-4 treatments.