Do remember the TV ads of the 60’s and 70’s when Madge, the manicurist, soaked her clients’ hands in Palmolive dishwashing detergent before she did their nails? The soap’s bright green color was unmistakable as was the message – “As you wash the dishes, your hands benefit from Palmolive’s amazing rejuvenative powers!”
There is no question that hands are one of the areas that women wish to keep looking as young as possible. They are involved in handshakes, displaying important items of jewelry, and holding the hands of special people. Moisturizing creams, sun screens to block harmful sunlight, and lasers to fade away brown spots are all part of the arsenal that medical science has put at our disposal.
But what about the backs of hands that have lost the pleasing smoothness of the fat of youth? Virtually everyone will find that they lose fat over the back of their hands as they grow older. As a result, the veins and tendons become much more noticeable, giving an aged look. By injecting the area with filler, there can be an excellent filling in of the hollows, giving a significantly rejuvenated look. Of all the fillers, Radiesse is my favorite because of its duration. The injection is very well tolerated and the results last for one to two years in my practice. Very little bruising and swelling is encountered since only a single point is injected with Radiesse and the Radiesse is then massaged so that it fills in the entire back of the hand.
Fat injection is another alternative filling technique, but this involves a minor surgical procedure with fat being taken from a donor site and then being injected into the back of the hands. I find that there is more bruising than with the Radiesse injection and that the fat may not last any longer than the Radiesse since fat does not last as long in areas where there is a great deal of motion such as the hand.
Should you have any further questions, please contact the office.
George Sanders, M.D.
