Young Face, Old Hands
Most of us focus on our face and body for procedures to stay youthful, but as the saying goes, the hands always give away our true age. As we get older, the skin on our hands thins, causing veins to become more prominent and liver spots to appear. Since we can’t use make-up to disguise these signs of aging as we do on the face, it isn’t surprising that the latest cosmetic trend is anti-aging hand procedures.
Many surgeons begin with intense pulsed light (IPL) or high-intensity pulsed light therapy. Before starting IPL, the nurse applies a cold gel over the treatment area. Pulses of intense light are flashed through a prism and gently remove brown spots and other skin irregularities. Most people receive one to three treatments that are spaced every three or four weeks apart. There is little downtime, although the treated area must be protected initially from sun exposure.
To plump up the hands, the surgeon can inject standard fillers or may suggest a more long-term solution such as a fat transfer. Although fat transfer sounds intrusive, it is actually minimally invasive. With advanced technology, the surgeon takes fat from one area of the patient’s body, such as the thighs or stomach, and injects it into the hands. The procedure is performed under local anesthetic in as little as one to two hours. Afterwards, patients go home, with minimal disruption to their lives.
As women choose anti-aging procedures later in life, more will wish to rejuvenate their hands so they no longer are the tell-tale signs of aging.
