Don’t let your hands give your age away

This is a great blog post from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery of which Drs. Barankin and Freiman are members. 

You want to look as young as you feel, so you’ve made sure to keep your face refreshed with wrinkle-relaxing injections, soft-tissue fillers, chemical peels or dermabrasions from your dermatologic surgeon. Your skin is glowing and youthful, and you haven’t had anyone guess your real age for years. But did you know that even if you might not reveal your true age, your hands might be giving it away? 

Not only are your hands – like your neck and chest – frequently exposed to sunlight, but they also suffer from plain wear-and-tear and are typically overlooked when applying sunscreens. Unfortunately, this means they are often one of the first parts of the body to begin showing signs of aging.

As you age, the skin in your hands thins, and subcutaneous (under-the-skin) fat starts to disappear. This is what results in frail, boney-looking hands with visible veins and wrinkles. Age spots – dark, flat discolored areas of skin – also may appear. We use our hands for so much – interacting, working, hobbies and exploring the world around us – and there is little we can do to hide them if we are unhappy with their appearance.

There’s good news, though. Advances in dermatologic surgery have created many new noninvasive options to enhance the appearance of aging hands. Your dermatologic surgeon can offer a variety of options for age spots and will advise you on the best treatment for your skin. Options for age spots include:

  • Dermabrasion –  surgically sanding the outer layer of skin.
  • Chemical peels – using a chemical solution that peels away the outer layer of skin.
  • Laser resurfacing – removing age spots with a laser.
  • Cryosurgery – freezing the spots causing them to peel away.

If the loss of plumpness (and the addition of wrinkles) in your hands is your main concern, most dermatologic surgeons will recommend a fat transfer. In this procedure, fat taken from your own body will be used to re-contour and smooth your hands. Since the treatment uses fat from your body instead of soft-tissue fillers, there is little chance of any allergic reaction or rejection. The office-based procedure is quick, generally only taking around a half hour or so to complete. The results are long-lasting, usually appearing soft and natural for several years.

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