Cosmetic Surgery Trend: Hand Rejuvenation

The hands are a hot new area in cosmetic surgery. Surgeons are using cosmetic facial procedures for hand rejuvenation, according to a recent New York Times article.

How Your Hands Age

As you age, your hands lose fat, volume and elasticity; because the skin is thinner and more translucent, you begin to see the underlying tendons and veins. Years of sun exposure cause brown spots to appear.

Luckily, cosmetic techniques can turn back the clock — even for your hands.

“The hands are a hot new area,” said Dr. Neil S. Sadick, a dermatologist in New York City. “Now that we have the face so well treated, we’re looking at the hands, neck and décolleté.”

Hand Rejuvenation Techniques

For lost volume, fillers, such as Juvéderm®, can be injected under the skin on the hand to plump it up.

Intense pulsed light or CO2 laser resurfacing are options for removing sun spots.

Some of the other techniques that are being used for hand rejuvenation include:

• Lasers, such as Fraxel, to remove wrinkling or discoloration.
• Thermage to tighten the skin.
• Sclerotherapy to treat varicose veins.

However, Dr. Sadick did not recommend surgery on the hands. He said that surgical removal of excess skin is not an option for the hands since it causes scarring and doesn’t heal well. In addition, there’s a higher risk of complications.

Dr. Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist, said the most important thing to do is to apply sunscreen to your hands.

“Treat your hands like you treat your face. People wash their hands so much these days that they’re washing off their sunscreen,” she said. Her tip? Keep a small sample size of sunscreen in your handbag and reapply after washing.