Aqualyx

Aqualyx™ and Belkyra™ are fat dissolving injections designed to treat stubborn areas of fat which diet and exercise can no longer shift. Aqualyx™ can be performed on any body area, for example on the flanks or abdomen, and submental area under the chin, whereas Belkyra™ is designed specifically for the submental area under the chin.

Aqualyx™ and Belkyra™ dissolve stubborn areas of fat through injections of deoxycholic acid, a substance which is selectively toxic to fat cells. During the treatment, your doctor will discuss the areas to be treated and a suitable product will be selected. The area will be numbed with local anaesthetic injections and the deoxycholic acid injected. Permanent destruction of fat cells in the treated area occurs, with release of stored fat into the lymphatic system, where it is drained and excreted from the body.

Deoxycholic acid injections are specifically designed to reduce stubborn pockets of fat where exercise and diet have failed. These treatments are suitable for smaller pockets of fat, whereas cryolipolysis may be more suitable for larger areas.

Deoxycholic acid causes reduction of stubborn pockets of fat which may not reduce with diet or exercise. Aqualyx™ can be used to treat any area of stubborn fat, whilst Belkyra™ is only suitable for the submental area under the chin. These treatments may also be used after cryolipolysis or even liposuction treatments to refine previously treated areas. The most popular areas which our patients have treated are the double chin, abdomen, and the flank ('love handle') areas. Inner and outer thighs, back, and upper arms can also be treated with Aqualyx™.

Aqualyx™ and Belkyra™ are often used in combination with various other body treatments such as Morpheus8 Body and Profhilo Body which can address the skin laxicty associated with fat loss. Our in-house women's health specialist Dr. Jo Mennie performs many of these treatments in post-pregnancy patients as part of a post-pregnancy body makeover.

An immediate inflammatory effect is expected after the treatment. Local anaesthetic injections cause numbness in the treated area for a few hours post-treatment. In the first 24 hours there may be a ‘sun-burn’ look and feel to the skin, with some bruising appearing within 24 hours in some patients. Some mild tenderness and skin irritation can last up to a week. Areas treated tend to become swollen for about 7-14 days, occasionally longer. Strenuous exercise and saunas should be avoided for 4 days.

Yes - we often see patients who have had liposuction who need some refinement of stubborn pockets. Aqualyx™ can be ideal for this.

 We usually suggest avoiding strenuous exercise for 24 hours following your treatment.

Usually the final fat-reduction results from Aqualyx™ and Belkyra™ treatments can be see at week 6 post-treatment, with some longer term firming of the tissues developing over a longer time period (3-6 months). We usually suggest a second session is performed at 6-8 weeks if more dramatic results are desired.

Yes - fat cell death is induced by deoxycholic acid in treated areas, and fat cells cannot reproduce. This being said, fat cells in the local area may grow if diet and exercise is not continued to fill the space created by the death of fat cells in the area. Some tissue fibrosis is also created as a result of the inflammatory effect of these treatments which may help maintain results over time.

No - these treatments simply reduce fat volume. In some cases there will be some firming in the fatty tissue treated but these treatments should have no effect on the skin. For lax skin we usually recommend combining these treatments with skin tightening treatments including Profhilo Body or Morpheus8 Body.