Hand Rejuvenation
The cosmetic enhancement of hands
First there was the facelift, buttock lift, eyelift and breast lift. Now, there is the “hand lift.” As you get older, your hands lose volume, fat and elasticity. The fatty layer of the hand disappears, so the skin is more translucent and shrivelled, and you see underlying structures like bones, tendons and veins. Environmental factors also play a major role in ageing hands. Even though your hands receive as much sun exposure as your face, they are usually less protected. Sun damage causes textural problems as well as pigmentation issues, such as age spots.
HOW CAN THE HANDS BE REJUVENATED?
For effective hand rejuvenation, there are two major issues that must be addressed: loss of soft-tissue volume, and problems with skin tone and texture. Dermal fillers and natural fat grafting can help restore volume, while laser treatments can improve sun-damaged skin, remove age spots, and correct pigmentation problems. Laser skin resurfacing is also an excellent way to improve skin tone and texture, while it reduces the signs of ageing on the hands.
Fillers can help repair the underlying structure of the skin and replace lost volume. These dermal fillers are injected under the skin in a simple outpatient procedure, with no downtime required.
Fat grafting uses your own natural fat to provide long-lasting, youthful-looking contours. During the process, excess fat is harvested from another area of your body and carefully re-injected into your hands. You will experience little to no discomfort and the downtime is minimal.
Today’s sophisticated laser technology can improve skin texture, reduce wrinkles, correct pigmentation issues, as well as promote vibrant, beautiful and younger-looking skin. During treatment, laser energy targets both damaged skin at the surface, as well as ageing collagen in the deeper layers of skin. The heat from the laser also stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms, encouraging the production of new collagen and elastin in the months following the procedure. Found in abundance in young, healthy skin, collagen and elastin provide natural skin firmness and elasticity.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR HAND REJUVENATION TREATMENTS?
People who wish to reduce the signs of ageing on their hands, restore lost volume, and improve the tone and texture of skin in their hands, may be good candidates for hand rejuvenation treatments.
HOW CAN I PREPARE FOR HAND REJUVENATION TREATMENTS?
If you are having dermal filler injections or fat grafting, you should avoid taking aspirin and products that contain ibuprofen, St. John’s Wort, high doses of vitamin E supplements and other blood thinners (unless medically necessary) for one week prior to treatment in order to minimse the risk of bruising. You should also avoid red wine and multivitamins for two days prior to treatment.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING THE HAND REJUVENATION TREATMENT?
The length of the procedure will vary depending on the treatment. Minor treatments with dermal fillers may take less than an hour to complete. Topical or local numbing is used for hand rejuvenation treatments. Every procedure is different, so you will receive detailed post-operative instructions for your specific needs. In general, patients report little to no discomfort from hand rejuvenation treatments and they can resume normal activities within 24 hours after their procedure.
Article by:
