Our hands have a rough deal much of the time. They are constantly exposed to harsh chemicals in our day to day lives as well as getting exposed to the sun. It’s no wonder that people often say that they give away our age more so than any other part of the body
People tend to look after their face and neck more these days with face creams and foundations that contain sunscreen but we all still neglect our hands. Over time skin on our hands is affected by both external factors and internal factors, such as natural ageing. This leads progressively to a loss of structural integrity and youthful appearance.
The ageing process affects not only the surface of the skin but the deeper soft tissues, skin elasticity & volume as well as pigment changes. This results in wrinkles, thinner and lax skin, prominent veins and the dreaded ‘age spots’!
When should treatment be considered?
A patient should be considered for a hand rejuvenation treatment if their hands:
● Are wrinkled and skin loses its elasticity and appears thin and crepey
● Have prominent veins and tendons due to loss of volume
● Have age spots
However, as we all know, prevention is better than cure, so hand rejuvenation treatments should start before the signs of ageing present with the use of moisturisers and sun protection on a daily basis.
Treatments
There are many medical aesthetic procedures available for treating ageing hands and the type of procedure selected for the patient will depend on what indication we are looking to treat. For example, loss of volume and obvious veins would be addressed using dermal filler, while for pigmentation, a chemical skin peel or a laser treatment might be considered. Some of the procedures available for hand rejuvenation include: intense pulse light (IPL), microdermabrasion, chemical peel, dermal filler, laser, skin needling, fat grafting, mesotherapy, skincare and PRP.
PRP works especially well for the forehead, cheeks, neck, décolletage, knees, elbows and hands and is a good treatment for skin revitalisation, scars (including acne scars) and stretch marks. It is also good for promoting hair growth and for non-healing wounds.
What does PRP do?
PRP, colloquially known as self-stimulated serum and vampire therapy, allows the body to heal faster and more efficiently. It does this by stimulating DNA repair, which can heal scars and make dry, lacklustre skin look and feel younger.
Plasma, which comprises 55% of blood fluid, is mostly water (90% by volume), and also contains dissolved proteins, glucose, mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide (plasma being the main medium for excretory product transportation), platelets, and blood cells themselves.7,8,9As it is a concentration of platelets, it is also a concentration of the seven fundamental protein growth factors actively secreted by platelets to initiate all wound healing.7,8,9
Platelets are the first responder to any trauma in the body and so, by injecting the platelets directly to the site requiring treatment, you are tricking the body into thinking a trauma has occurred and the growth factors will start to work immediately to stimulate and rejuvenate.
Non-surgical procedures such as platelet-rich plasma are a fantastic natural option for hand rejuvenation treatments.