When Luisa Moore realized a few years ago that she was nearing her 60th birthday, she decided to make some changes, aesthetically speaking. She hired a trainer. She lost 20 pounds. She got a face-lift. And by the time she hit the big milestone, she couldn't have been happier. Except for one thing — her hands didn't quite match her new-and-improved look!"I didn't have much sun damage in my face, but I had it in my hands, and that was giving my age away," said Moore, of Marina del Rey. "So I thought, you know, after having a face-lift, if I don't get my hands done, what's the point?"
It's a common concern. In the quest to look younger longer, more and more women are finding that when it comes to looking youthful, it's not just all about a pretty face.
"After the face, hands are the second-most-visible, telltale sign of one's age," president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said in a written statement. "Looking younger after your face-lift or eyelid surgery can conflict with aged hands that simply do not match the face.
"If your goal is to look more youthful, and you are bothered by the appearance of your hands, you may seriously want to consider hand rejuvenation. "Some people have very young faces, but their hands give them away."
In fact, according to a study published in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, most people can accurately tell a person's age by viewing only their hands.
In the study, participants were given unaltered photographs of female hands and asked to estimate the women's ages. In the majority of cases, participants were able to accurately guess the age, citing prominent hand veins as the biggest clue to aging.
"As the face ages, we lose fat. We lose elasticity to the skin," Bucky said. "The same thing happens to the hands."
As it turns out, hand rejuvenation isn't all that different from facial rejuvenation. Options range from chemical peels to minimally invasive procedures including injectable fillers such as fat.
For people concerned about prominent hand veins, which can give hands an aged look, fat transfer can plump up the skin and thus diminish the appearance of bulging veins.
The actual procedure of fat harvesting and transfer is quick and easy. It is done under local anesthesia. Fat is taken from the hips, thighs, abdomen or anywhere else that stubborn unwanted fat tends to collect. Dr. Kevin Light can is very experienced in fat transfer techniques and will happily answer any questions you may have.
