First there was the facelift, buttock lift, eye lift and breast lift. Now, there is the “hand lift.” In a  New York Times article this month on hand rejuvenation, a Mount Kisco, New York plastic surgeon states, “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 shriveled, and you see underlying structures like bones, tendons and veins.” 

Sixty-seven year-old RL Peters tells the news source that she’s way younger in spirit than her age, but her hands don’t match her body, lifestyle or face. The old saying, “If you want to know a woman’s age, look at her hands,” is still operational. But now, there are new and increasingly popular procedures that can protect you from being “outed” in such a manner.

A Redondo Beach plastic surgeon offers a “hand lift” that is accomplished in five to ten minutes for about $1,200 in which he injects synthetic fillers like Radiesse, Juvederm or Perlane under the first layer of skin to plump it. Alternately, he may use a combination of fillers, intense pulsed light and CO2 laser resurfacing to remove sun spots. Effects of these procedures persist for roughly a year.

A New York plastic surgeon uses many different methods such as the Fraxel laser to remove wrinkling or discoloration; Thermage for skin tightening; sclerotherapy, which involves injecting a solution directly into the veins; the Q-switched laser, which fires very rapid pulses and blasts away pigment spots, and fat injections to plump up the hands.

The news source interviewed another doctor who strongly favors reinjecting fat from the derriere or thighs into the tops of the hands over all over methods. He doesn’t use Radiesse or Sculptra because, according to him, they are expensive and not as long- lasting as fat, which has less chance of being rejected.

None of the doctors interviewed remove excess skin surgically from the hands. In terms of surgical removal, one plastic surgeon states, “You’d have to literally take a scissor and separate the tissue, and you might interfere with some of the tendons.”

As far as complications with filler, a Manhattan dermatologist advises, “The most common reactions are local bruising and swelling. If you’re having your hands injected, like your face, do it with a very experienced injector.”

If you’re interested in hand rejuvenation, consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist. To prevent the appearance of aging hands, sunscreen is your best option.