I have had many conversations of late about treating the double chin. It turns out that cosmetic patients are more concerned with the way this part of their face is aging than frown lines and crows feet which are treated with BOTOX Cosmetic®. This is an amazing stat considering how popular BOTOX is and a great breakthrough for those like myself, who are experts in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures of the face.
The are two non-surgical treatments that stand apart in treating the double chin and the question is, which is better? CoolSculpting® or Belkyra®? At ReNue, we have the ability to do both treatments, so as always, I am trying to offer as unbiased an opinion as possible.
CoolSculpting improves the double chin by freezing the fat pocket that leads to submental fullness(nice name for double chin). Multiple treatments are required and it is effective at treating this area and results are generally quite predictable. It definitely tightens skin and reduces the double chin. There are a few down-sides. The applicator used to treat the neck is very finicky. It falls off easily and then the treatment needs to be restarted. It is also very painful. Honestly, many patients cannot tolerate the treatment and simply won’t come back. The treatments are not cheap either and each is around $700 dollars and up to five treatments are needed. It is however a surgical alternative and much less costly than a neck lift.
Belkyra is relatively new to Canada but has been in the United States for almost two years now and it is nice to learn from the U.S experience thus far. It is an injectable solution that dissolves fat in the same way that fat is digested by the fluid released by our gallbladder when we eat. It is injected safely into the double chin area and the dissolved fat is then taken up by the cells of our body and disposed of naturally. Belkyra definitely works and most people notice some improvement already after one treatment. In our experience the injections are relatively painless. There is some numbness and burning immediately afterwards but it has been easily manageable with Tylenol or Advil and ice. The down-sides would include swelling that usually lasts a few days but can last a few weeks. This is not common. Three to four treatments have been needed for most of our clients. Unless it is a large treatment area, each treatment cost is around $1000. Belkyra is a surgical alternative in many individuals. We priced out some recent neck lifts in Calgary and they range from $10,000 all the way up to $16,000. For this reason alone, I think there is definite value in Belkyra.
I am sure at this point it is obvious that I prefer Belkyra for treating the double chin versus CoolSculpting. Don’t get me wrong, I love CoolSculpting for body contouring and our Seton location is often booked weeks in advance for the procedure. I am sure there will be improvements with CoolSculpting over time and I will keep you posted if I change my mind. Talk Soon.