Ageing Hands Treatment, Marylebone, London
When it comes to skin ageing, it’s your hands that will betray you more than any other body part. Yet, despite this, hand care is overlooked far too often. Considering the stress that they go through on a daily basis, it’s about time we gave our hands the same level of attention as we do our faces. If you’ve started to notice wrinkles, crepeyness or volume loss in this area, what are the best ways to turn back the clock? Read on for everything you need to know.
What happens to the hands with age?
The skin on our hands is naturally thin and, with continued exposure to the elements, becomes thinner, drier, and rougher, showing signs of ageing more prominently than other area of the body. Skin loses volume, fat, and elasticity, especially after menopause, becoming translucent and shrivelled: this leads to the appearance of protruding veins and wrinkly hands which are particularly telling. Additionally, the hands get more exposure to UV light than any other part of the body except the face, which means that every time they are exposed to daylight, they accumulate small amounts of sun damage, which eventually will show up in the form of hyperpigmentation (dark spots commonly referred to as age spots).
How to prevent ageing hands
Prevention plays a vital role in maintaining youthful-looking hands. Sun protection is paramount. Using broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 on hands daily, wearing gloves while gardening or doing activities that involve harsh chemicals, and regular moisturisation will help to preserve skin health. After your finish applying your skincare to your face, rub in any leftover product into your hands, to help them reap the benefits too.
How to reverse the changes
Patients often tell me that they think their hands look at least ten years older than their faces, but the good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. The right treatments will rejuvenate the hands, smoothing and freshening the skin and reducing the appearance of prominent hand veins.
If you’d like to: Reduce the appearance of veins and tendons
If prominent veins are a concern, we can use filler to help restore the volume on the back of the hands and plump skin from the inside out. In this area, fillers mimic the body’s natural tissues and restore structure and definition.
Not only this, but dermal fillers also boost collagen and elastin stores deep within the skin, improving the skin’s texture over time, even after the initial filler has worn off. I love using HArmonyCa in this area. HArmonyCa isn’t a filler – it’s what we call a hybrid injectable, in that it combines hyaluronic and calcium hydroxyapatite (a biostimulator) which has a collagen-stimulating function under the skin. It also helps firm up and ‘thickens’ tired-looking, lax skin giving an overall fresher, more youthful appearance which continues to improve over time.
If you’d like to: Improve the appearance of lines, wrinkles and crepey skin
Skin boosters like Profhilo or Polynucleotides work inside the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Profhilo contains high concentrations of hyaluronic acid, which spreads evenly throughout the skin to rapidly restore structure and tautness and significantly improve the overall tissue quality of the skin. Polynucleotides are fragments of DNA from a fish source which regenerate tissue to improve its quality and to hydrate from the inside out. Volite is another skin booster which is very effective in this area. Again, it is made from Hyaluronic Acid, and it works to fill lines and plump the skin whilst deeply hydrating it.
If you’d like to: Target sun damage and pigmentation
We can very effectively treat age spots on the hands using an innovative peel technique to specifically target the sunspots before blending with an overall chemical peel to create a fresh, even skin tone. Chemical peels usually contain a combination of alpha-hydroxy acids and possibly TCA, a more powerful acid, which deeply exfoliates the skin and is an excellent option for all skin types who are experiencing pigmentation problems.
Consulting a qualified practitioner is crucial before opting for any treatment. They can assess individual needs and recommend the most suitable approach based on skin type, severity of ageing signs, and desired outcomes. If you’d like to discuss the options, click here to enquire or to book a consultation.