Your Face Is Youthful, But Your Hands Are Wrinkled? Let’s Fix That

The skin of our hands age just like that of our face and neck. Furthermore, our hands are often exposed to the ravages of environment — heat, cold, pollutants, germs, and more — so much so that it is said that people can tell our true age by looking at our hands! Despite this, many people still overlook their hands when it comes to their personal care regime.

WORDS DR SIEW TUCK WAH

FEATURED EXPERT DR SIEW TUCK WAH Medical Director Radium Medical Aesthetics

As we age, our hands undergo visible changes in appearance.

DRY SKIN

• The skin of our hands has fewer sweat glands or sebaceous glands compared to the skin on other parts of our body.
• Sebaceous glands produce a waxy, oily substance that lubricates the skin.
• Due to having fewer of these glands, the skin of our hands tends to dry up fast.
• Furthermore, as we age, the skin on our hands increasingly loses its ability to retain moisture.

Consequently, as the years pass, our hands will have a higher tendency to become dry and wrinkled.

THIN, CREPEY SKIN

• The skin loses collagen and elastin as we age.
• Collagens are proteins that help our skin retain its structure while remaining elastic in order to allow for movement.
• The loss of these proteins results in the skin of the hands taking on a thin and finely wrinkled appearance that resembles crepe paper.

PIGMENTATION ISSUES

• Common pigmentation issues include age spots.
• Age spots are caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, which is present in sunlight as well as certain artificial light sources.

LOSS OF VOLUME

• Ageing can cause our hands to appear bonier.
• The veins on the hand become more prominent.

HOW TO REVITALIZE YOUR HANDS

• Use a good sunscreen to protect your hands from UV damage
• Moisturize hands regularly with a strong and rich moisturizer. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides are beneficial in retaining moisture and repairing skin barrier.
• Consider using antioxidant serums on the hands. My personal favourites are vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid.

AESTHETIC TREATMENTS FOR AGEING HANDS

Age Spots

Chemical peels

• A chemical solution is applied to the top layer of the skin, removing dead skin cells and allowing new skin cells to regenerate.
• The skin that grows back after a chemical peel is smoother and younger-looking.

Microdermabrasion

• A special device with an abrasive surface is used to gently remove debris from the outer layers of the skin.
• This treatment works even better when combined with other procedures such as lasers, chemical peels, and LED light therapy.

Laser skin resurfacing

• This technique employs an intense beam of laser light to remove the top few layers of skin.
• This will promote the growth of new, younger-looking skin.
• There are several types of laser treatment available. You can consult an aesthetic medicine specialist on the type most suitable for your needs.

Dry Skin

Skinboosters

• Tiny injections are made into the skin to restore hydration and improve skin elasticity.

Loss of Volume and Prominent Veins

Biostimulating fillers

• Injected into the hands to restore volume and reduce the prominence of veins.
• The biostimulatory effects of these fillers will also improve the skin texture of your hands.