Skin Rejuvenation
Belkyra™
Non-surgical submental fat reduction
BELKYRA™ is an injectable used to reduce the fat in the submental area, also known as the area beneath the chin. This non-surgical treatment uses deoxycholic acid — a naturally occurring substance found in the body — to destroy the membranes of fat cells, creating a beautifully contoured silhouette below the chin.
Who this is for
Often right for
- A distinct pocket of fat beneath the chin with reasonable skin quality
- Submental fullness that has persisted despite weight loss
- Patients who want a permanent result without surgery
- Mild to moderate fullness rather than a large volume of fat
- Those willing to accept two weeks of visible swelling per session
- People who have been told they are not ready for surgical options
Booking commits you to nothing
What to expect
Your Belkyra™ visit
Candidacy assessment
We pinch and assess the area to distinguish fat from laxity, check platysmal banding and jaw projection, and confirm your thyroid and glandular anatomy are not the cause. Some patients are told no here.
Mapping
A temporary grid is marked on the skin. Placement is deliberately kept away from the jawline margin to protect the marginal mandibular nerve.
Injection
Ice and topical numbing, then a series of small injections across the grid. There is a stinging, burning sensation during and for a while afterwards.
Swelling and repeat
Swelling peaks in the first days and settles over one to two weeks. We wait at least six weeks, assess the actual change, and only repeat if it is warranted.
The science
Why it works
Belkyra is injectable deoxycholic acid, a molecule your body already produces to break down dietary fat. Injected into the pocket of fat beneath the chin, it disrupts fat cell membranes, and those cells are cleared permanently by the immune system over the following weeks. Because the cells are destroyed rather than shrunk, the improvement is durable in a way that dieting is not.
The mechanism explains the recovery. You are deliberately provoking an inflammatory clean-up response in a visible area, so swelling is not a side effect to be minimised — it is the treatment working. Expect a noticeably swollen under-chin for several days to two weeks after each session, sometimes with firmness, numbness and tenderness that can persist for a few weeks. We schedule around your calendar rather than pretending this is a lunchtime procedure.
Candidacy is where honesty matters most. Belkyra treats fat. It does nothing for loose skin, and if your under-chin fullness is mainly laxity or a weak jawline projection, reducing fat can leave the area looking worse rather than better. In those cases we will say so and discuss alternatives — chin filler for projection, collagen-stimulating treatment for skin quality, or a surgical referral where that is genuinely the right answer.
At a glance
- Appointment
- 30–45 minutes
- Discomfort
- Ice and topical numbing; stinging during and after
- Downtime
- Visible swelling 3–14 days per session
- Sessions
- Usually 2–4, at least 6 weeks apart
- Results
- Visible from 6 weeks; permanent once cells clear
- Not suitable
- Laxity-dominant fullness, pregnancy, breastfeeding
Questions
Belkyra™ questions
- Significant, and this is the single most common complaint from patients who were not properly warned. The under-chin area is visibly swollen for several days and can take up to two weeks to settle, occasionally longer. Most people take a few days out of the diary and avoid photographs. We will not schedule you before a wedding or a holiday.
Didn’t find your question?
Ask us directly
Ready when you are.
Consultations for Belkyra™ run in Victoria, Langley and Kelowna. Booking one commits you to nothing.
Book now