Refine Your Chin Profile with Belkyra

Belkyra is an innovative beauty breakthrough and first-in-class aesthetic treatment for both men and women who are bothered by fullness under the chin and wish to improve the appearance of their chin profile. Belkyra is the only Health Canada approved injectable treatment for fullness in the area under the chin. You may have heard of Belkyra, but under a different name: Kybella. This is the same product made by the same company, Allergan, but in the USA it is distributed under the name Kybella.

Link to the Belkyra page here. Link to the Kybella page here.

What causes fullness under the chin?

Fullness under the chin, sometimes referred to as “double chin,” is a common, yet under-treated, facial aesthetic concern that can impact a broad range of adults, both men and women. Causes may include: Aging, Genetics, or Weight changes.

Sometimes, no matter how much you diet or exercise, the fullness in this area may not go away – and it may make you feel like you look older and heavier than you actually are.

What is Belkyra, how does it work, and what can I expect?

The active ingredient in Belkyra is deoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat.

It is a quick and easy treatment that can be completed in 15-20 minutes. Ice packs and a topical numbing cream will be applied prior to treatment. Clinical trial patients reported pain right after the treatment, but it decreased rapidly within 15 mins and was mild and controllable with Tylenol/acetaminophen and cool packs throughout the remainder of the day.
Your appearance will gradually improve with each treatment session.
Many people see visible improvements in just 2-4 treatments (a max of 6 treatments may be administered).
Once your goals are achieved, re-treatment is not expected.
Downtime is minimal and occurs most commonly after the first treatment. The skin feels extra loose for the first 3 days after treatment and begins to improve after that. Swelling, bruising, pain and numbness are common side effects.

About Your Treatment

Welcome to Essentials Medi Spa

Belkyra Pre-Post Care Instructions:

Belkyra™ is an injectable prescription medicine used in adults to improve the appearance and profile of moderate to severe amounts of fat under the chin. Belkyra™ is only for use in a specific area under the chin and not for anywhere else on your body. Belkyra™ is only to be administered by a health professional who has been specially trained in the use of the product.

Downtime is minimal and occurs most commonly after the first treatment session. Remember, once your goals are achieved, retreatment with Belkyra™ is not expected. Many people treated with Belkyra™ experienced visible improvement in the appearance of their chin profile in just 2 to 4 treatments. Up to 6 may be administered.

Pre -Treatment Instructions:

24 hours before: Do not drink alcoholic beverages (to avoid extra bruising).
Purchase a gel ice pack or cold pack.
3 days before treatment:
- AVOID topical products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols, Retinoids, Glycolic Acid, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, or other anti aging products.
- AVOID waxing, bleaching, tweezing or the use of hair removal creams on the area to be treated.
10 days before treatment (to help prevent bruising):
- AVOID blood-thinning over-the-counter medications such as ASA/Aspirin, Motrin, Advil/Ibuprofen and Naproxen/Alleve.
- AVOID herbal supplements, such as Garlic, Ginseng, Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, St. John’s Wort and Omega-3 capsules.
14 days before: AVOID: chemical peels, micro-dermabrasion, or laser treatments
Inform our health practitioners if you have a history of Perioral Herpes (Cold Sores). They will prescribe or recommend you see your family doctor for advice on antiviral therapy before your cosmetic treatment, as they can’t treat an inflamed area.
Inform our health practitioners if you have a history of excessive scarring (hypertrophic scarring and keloid formations) or pigmentation disorders as the use of Belkyra™ may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation in some cases.
Inform our health practitioners if you are on any immunosuppressive therapy used to decrease the body’s immune response, as the use of these products may result in an increased risk of infection.
Do not use Belkyra™ if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are allergic to any of the ingredients (Hyaluronic Acid/Lidocaine) or suffer from any neurological disorders.
Please ask our health practitioners all of your questions before your cosmetic treatment.

Day of Treatment:

Take a Tylenol/Acetaminophen an hour before your appointment and have some on hand to take every 4 hours afterwards for the remainder of the day.
Please arrive to the office with a clean face or arrive early and be prepared to wash your face at the office. You may apply makeup the next day.
You will be asked to read a consent form before treatment takes place, you may opt out at any time.
Your injector will make multiple injections spaced either ½ cm to 1 cm apart across your chin treatment area with a very fine needle.
You may experience a mild amount of discomfort or a stinging sensation following an injection.
Redness and swelling are normal.
There may be some tenderness at the treatment site(s) that can last for a few hours or several days. You may develop bruises in the areas treated.

Immediately After Treatment:

Off and on: You may apply an ice pack or cool gel pack to the areas treated. You may take Tylenol/ Acetaminophen if you experience any mild tenderness or discomfort.
Drink plenty of water for 48 hours after treatment.
4 hours following an injection: stay in an upright position. DO NOT rest your head or lie down. DO NOT sleep on your face or place your head on your hands while sleeping.
For the remainder of the treatment day: AVOID exercise or strenuous movements. You may resume your other usual movements immediately.
For 24 hours: Wait to apply make up (if you have any pinpoint bleeding, wait until it has stopped).
For 2 weeks: AVOID hot environments like saunas /extended UV exposure until any redness/swelling has passed. Be sure to apply an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. Grab an Alumier MD sunscreen sample from our office to try, if you need one. Also AVOID very cold temperatures
AVOID heavy pressure on the treated areas for the first few days. When cleansing your face or applying your makeup, be very gentle.
AVOID laser treatments, resurfacing treatments, or chemical peels for a minimum of 2 weeks, as there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if the procedures are performed after treatment.
Be careful – patients who experience skin injury near the site of an injection with these products may be at higher risk for side effects.

Please do not hesitate to call our office at (403) 487-0460 if you have any questions or concerns.

Call your doctor immediately if you have:

Changes in your vision
Signs of a stroke (including sudden difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in your face, arms, or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headache, dizziness, or confusion)
White appearance of the skin
Unusual pain

Be sure to call your doctor if you have: