A woman’s hands have always told her age. That is, until now. Kathleen Rowland, an RN injector practicing at the office of Dr. Ben Lee, a plastic surgeon in Englewood, Colo., is using Restylane^®, Juvéderm^® and Sculptra^® injections to make hands look youthful again.

Over time, the fatty tissue on the back of the hands (like all of the skin on the body) thins, loses its elasticity and plumpness. On the hands, especially, the veins become more noticeable, as does the boniness of the backs of the hands. The fat loss leaves hands looking haggard and worn. Now, with the newfound application of these dermal fillers, hands can look smoother, fuller and younger.

Restylane^® and Juvéderm^®, clear gels made from hyaluronic acid, a sugar compound, are nothing new to the cosmetic industry. Restylane^® was approved by the FDA in 2003 but has only been used to enlarge lips. Because Restylane^® and Juvéderm^® are made from compounds that are found naturally in the body, there is almost no chance of an adverse reaction to the injection. Sculptra^® is another kind of dermal filler. Opposed to the other two, Sculptra^® is collagen based. The difference is base means there is a chance of an allergic reaction. Because Sculptra^® is collagen based, the effects will increase over time whereas a hyaluronic acid base is immediate.

The procedure begins by injecting a mild anesthetic into the wrist, which numbs the entire back of the hand, making the injections painless. Then, with a very fine needle, the filler is injected into the back of the hand in small injections spread evenly across the area. The filler s placed between the veins and the tendons to restore the fullness that was once there. Following the procedure, most patients will experience a mild soreness and possible bruising on the back of their hands for the next couple of days.

The effectiveness of the injections is apparent immediately and there is no downtime associated with this procedure. Patients are permitted to return to normal activities immediately. The results from hand rejuvenation last six to nine months.

Hand injections are most commonly performed on women in their 40s to 60s when the effects of gravity begin to take their toll. This newest use of dermal fillers is making it impossible for people to tell a woman’s age by her hands particularly in the case that she has had cosmetic surgery on her face or other parts of her body to look younger.

Dr. Lee’s office is located at 8101 E. Belleview Ave. Suite J,
Denver, CO 80237 in Englewood, CO. Visit his website at www.benleemd.com.