Hand Rejuvénation

Aging is a process that not only affects the face but the hands as well. Very commonly I will hear from patients how they believe they look and feel great but, "My hands give away my age". Features typical to aging hands are several-fold, and present to different degrees, and can all be addressed. Most commonly patients do not like the "wasted" look where the muscle tendons become very visible. Also, there are concerns with age spots, pigmentation, crepey or loose skin, and prominent thick veins. The aging process involves the loss of subcutaneous fat and loose skin which occur through loss of hormones, sun and environmental damage, and lack of regular home care.


At Rejuvé, we combine the latest technologies in lasers and fillers to give you back the hands you've been wanting without surgery and without downtime. During your complimentary consultation, Dr. Tang will personalize a treatment plan to address your concerns so that your hands won't have to give away your age anymore.

The Facelift for Hands with Radiesse

Complete Hand Rejuvénation is a combination process which includes at its core Radiesse. Patients whose hands are pigmented with sun or "age" spots may choose to be pre-treated with the IPL to remove brown spots.


Radiesse

Radiesse injections immediately re-plump and replenish volume to the back of the hands to provide a supple and youthful appearance instantly. Placed beneath the skin, Radiesse raises the skin level so that tendons, joints, and veins become less noticeable. Radiesse provides instant results and can last 1 year or more. Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxylapatite crystals which is biocompatible to your body. It works by stimulating your own body's cells called fibroblasts to produce more collagen, and in doing so, the hand becomes more youthful while feeling soft and smooth.







IPL for Age Spots and Pigmentation

If your hands are affected by age spots or liver spots, the IPL is used to break up this pigment. This laser is attracted to darker pigment and the light energy heats up the pigment particles. As they are broken down, these dark pigments quickly surface and eventually fall off. This procedure is quite simple and has no downtime and minimal to no pain. Typically 3 treatments are required.



Afterwards, your hands will need to be protected from sun damage since sun exposure is the main reason for the brown spots. Regular use of sunscreen is a necessary step, no matter what cosmetic procedure your choose. We have several different kinds of sunscreen that we recommend depending of your specific skin and lifestyle which will be discussed at the time of consultation.  Other skin products offerred at Rejuvé can also be used to maintain the quality and texture of the skin as well.  Please ask our staff for further details.

Note: The above pictures demonstrate actual patients results.  However, individual results may vary and these results may not occur with all patients.

FAQs

• Can dermal fillers be used to improve the appearance of aging hands?
Response from Thomas E. Rohrer, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology, Boston University School
of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

Hands often betray our age. Hands are subjected to the same sun and harsh environment as the face, yet they lack the thicker, more protective skin and the regenerative properties of higher-density sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Although there are many restorative procedures and topical products for the face, there are relatively few treatments for the hands. Some of the changes that age the hands are solar lentigenes (dark sunspots) and the thinning of skin and subcutaneous tissue, which creates a hollowed look and reveals the large veins on the back of the hands. Fortunately, there are now several new procedures that can rejuvenate the hands.

Solar lentigenes are relatively easy to remove. These superficial depositions of pigment are responsive to a variety of laser and intense pulsed-light treatments. The pigment in solar lentigenes absorbs certain wavelengths of light, and when a laser or light source is used with that matching wavelength, the pigment is heated to the point that the cells are destroyed. In a week or 2, the spots slowly flake or peel and reveal new, normal-colored skin below. One or 2 of these procedures can remove the vast majority of solar lentigenes and make a dramatic difference in the appearance of the hand. The application of topical retinoids, light chemical peels, and microdermabrasion procedures will all help exfoliate the skin and may also lighten solar lentigenes a little. Of course, because the sun is responsible for their formation, the daily use of sunscreens is the best defense to help prevent new dark spots.

Increasing the thickness of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the hand is a bit more difficult, but it can be done. Laser procedures that use fractionated infrared wavelengths will not only remove brown spots but will also increase dermal thickness and make the skin on the back of the hands less crepey. Multiple intense pulsed-light treatments will also increase dermal thickness but to a lesser extent.

Improving the hollowed look of the back of the hands requires the injection of a filler substance. There are multiple substances used to fill the back of the hands and give them a more plump, youthful appearance. The most common products are hyaluronic acids (eg, Juvéderm® [Allergan, Inc; Irvine, California], Restylane® [Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation; Scottsdale, Arizona]), calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse®;BioForm Medical; San Mateo, California), and poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra® Aesthetic; sanofi-aventis; Bridgewater, New Jersey) [). Each product has advantages and disadvantages. The hyaluronic acids are clear, flow smoothly, and can be dissolved with the use of hyaluronidase if the desired effect is not achieved. Calcium hydroxylapatite is more white in color, which helps hide underlying structures (such as veins) a bit better, and the product tends to last longer than the hyaluronic acids. Poly-L-lactic acid lasts even longer but is more expensive, more likely to be bumpy, and requires more injections to achieve the desired result.

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