Hey, Skin Worthy family! For some of you, I’ve already had the great pleasure of meeting you in clinic, but for all those I have yet to meet, my name is Naanafya - Nicole’s partner in crime, as I’m also one of the fabulous (lol, just teasing) receptionist at Skin Worthy. I have recently just joined (about a month now) the Skin Worthy family, and I must say that I am super excited to be on board, as well as be a part of such a dynamic and multifaceted team. I want to take this time to personally thank everyone – the staff, and our fabulous/loyal clients for all welcoming me with such open arms, truly grateful.
Now, as we all continue to embark on this journey of “honouring [our] natural beauty” I wanted to be openly transparent with all of you as I embark on my own personal journey, which includes my most recent experience with Belkyra. Belkyra is a non-surgical permanent solution to minimize and reduce the appearance of submental fat (a double chin). Belkyra is an injectable synthetic drug called deoxycholic acid - a naturally occurring substance within our bodies which is used to target submental (under the chin) fat, as a means to redefine your jawline by creating a more sculpted and contoured appearance. Belkyra is also an Allergan product (the same makers of Botox, Juvederm and Latisse), which has been FDA approved since 2015.
Personally, submental fat has always been a reoccurring issue for me, even with an aggressive exercise regime and a strict diet in place to help minimize the overall appearance. Overtime, submental fat has become this stubborn fat that I could not seem to progressively get rid of, even with significant weight loss. This was enough motivation for me to seek alternative methods which led me to try Belkyra as nothing else (from a non-invasive approach) seemed capable of facilitating my desired results. Today, actually marks 15 days post treatment, and so far, I am extremely happy as far as how I am currently trending post treatment. This why I basically want to give you all a quick breakdown as to what my Belkyra experience has been like thus far.
The actual treatment itself was not too painful at all. I had about 15 different injection sites (this varies and is contingent upon the amount of submental fat in the region) on my chin to target the submental fat. With the initial poke, there was some moderate pain associated with the actual injection which lasted for about 3 seconds, which I would rate at a 6/10. However, all subsequent pokes were no longer felt as the treated area became numb as the deoxycholic acid began to distribute throughout the area. As, the product continued to disperse, my chin began to feel a moderate burning sensation (completely bearable) which gradually migrated towards the lower posterior portion of my head. Additionally, I also felt added weight/pressure in the treated area and in my head as edema (swelling) is a natural manifestation of Belkyra during and post treatment. Overall, the procedure took approximately 25 minutes with no needed down time.
24 hours post treatment, the lower half of my face was extremely swollen, tender upon palpation (touch) or added pressure, and numb without any added sensation. My head overall felt slightly (very minimal) heavy due to the swelling, however, was tolerable rating my pain and discomfort at about a 2/10.
48 hours post treatment, again similar manifestations as my 24 hours post treatment results. However, what slightly differed was the pain and discomfort that I was feeling as it significantly increased towards the evening rating it at about a 9/10, which at that point I took Tylenol to help subside the pain.
72 hours to 5 days post treatment, again similar manifestations as the 24-hour mark however, the pain and discomfort in which I was initially feeling 48 hours post treatment progressively began to decrease to about a 4/10 by day 5.
Now, currently at the 2 week post treatment phase, my swelling has significantly reduced in appearance in the lower portion of my face (reducing the overall heaviness). However, my chin area is still extremely tender upon palpation, with moderate numbness.
Things to Consider with Belkyra:
Things to be mindful of when considering this procedure is that excessive swelling in the lower region of the face is completely NORMAL. With Belkyra, excessive swelling is an indication of a reaction; a reaction is an indication that something is happening or occurring within the body which is further indication that the treatment/product is working.
Additionally, while using Belkyra some may note that their swelling significantly increases in the morning or when they initially wake up. Again, this is completely normal and is due to an increase in water retention which the body naturally accumulates during rest periods (sleep) due to inactivity. This manifestation will progressively decrease throughout the day as the body begins to decrease in fluid volume.
Furthermore, if your threshold for pain is minimal, you can take acetaminophen/Tylenol post treatment to help subside the pain, as well as to help maintain your overall comfort.
As for results, recommended treatments are typically 2-3 sessions, which again is contingent upon the amount of submental fat in the area. Treatment time in between treatments is approximately 6-8 weeks as results from Belkyra do not typically begin to show until 4-6 weeks post treatment.
Other than that, no needed down time is required and you can quickly go back to your daily routine/regime post treatment.
Thank you guys so much for this moment of transparency. I will definitely keep you guys posted on this journey and update you when I hit the 4-week mark. At Skin Worthy, we value educating our patients on any procedure they are having, take a look at our website and if you are considering Belkyra, we encourage you to come in for a complimentary consultation. We will discuss your goals, assess your face, decide and further educate you on the process step by step.
Call Skin Worthy 647-350-7546 to book your consultation today!