Forget liposuction! This Belkyra injection will banish your double chin by ‘melting away the flab’
DOUBLE chin, turkey neck, wattle, gobbler - if you've got one, there's a good chance you wear a lot of scarves and turtleneck sweaters all year round.
Perhaps you have considered liposuction, a neck lift, or one of the many ‘miracle’ products on the market too.
Well, now there’s a new treatment to add to the gamut of options available - and this one claims to dissolve chin fat permanently, with a simple injection.
";Compounded products for dissolving fat have been around for some time," said Dr. Sarah Boxley.
"But the results we are seeing with this new product far outweigh anything we have seen in the past."
Formulated in the States, Belkyra - known as Kybella in the US - has been under development for over a decade.
Belkyra, a synthetic version of deoxycholic acid, a substance your body produces to help absorb fats, is a prescriptive medication and an injectable treatment that destroys fat cells under the chin.
Clinical Nurse Injector Allison Ellison from Perth wellness clinic 5Glyde, has been treating patients with Belkyra and says demand is high for the treatment.
"Fullness under the chin is really common and seriously worrying for those who have it," she said.
"It’s right up there with lines and wrinkles."
Dr Boxley agrees.
She said: "A double chin may seem trivial, but a recent study revealed that 67 per cent of adults loathe the fat beneath their chin.
"It is a hereditary condition that sees sub-mental fat exists below the chin.
"The face appears to blend into the neck that obliterates the jawline and any definition.
"Given a strong jawline is often associated with youthfulness, confidence and strength of character, it is a facial feature both men and women really want.
"Results with Belkyra, are similar to those achievable with liposuction,
"But without an invasive surgical procedure and with less downtime.
"It also has a knock-on effect, reducing early jowls and giving a more chiselled look to the jawline."
But while the treatment may look like a miracle measure, the procedure isn’t without risks.
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Dr Gazi Hussain, Vice President of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the treatment could have serious impacts on other facial features if not conducted by a doctor with training in facial anatomy.
"The neck area is high risk," Dr Hussain said.
"There are nerves in that area, and there are some large blood vessels and the jugular vein.
"It’s not an area that should be treated by someone who doesn’t have any knowledge of anatomy.
"If the substance is near the nerves, it can lead to temporary paralysis between six and eight weeks — which can cause asymmetry or imbalance to lower lip movement.
"Reversing that effect can take many weeks, but if the person injecting has a working knowledge of facial anatomy it should be a safe procedure."
A trained medical aesthetic clinician should carry out the 15-minute treatment.
"While most patients experience some discomfort, it only lasts for about 5-10 minutes," Dr Boxley said.
"It takes two treatments with possible further treatments necessary should the desired outcome not be achieved."
Since the treatment is spread over a number of sessions, the results appear gradually, which is ideal for patients who don’t want a sudden and noticeable change.
"The amount of Belkyra that is needed per treatment, and the number of treatments, is dependent on the patient," said Ellison.
";The cost for two treatments is roughly $2,500 (£1,500) with possible further treatments necessary should the desired outcome not be completely reached after the second treatment."
Certainly a considerable investment, but for those wearing neck scarves 24/7, one worth making?
Dr. Boxley said: "Essentially aesthetic medicine is about helping to improve a patient’s self-confidence and this is an exciting product that certainly delivers."
This story originally appeared on and has been republished with permission.
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