Having the upper hand usually means having an advantage in a situation. Unfortunately in skin, aging of the hands usually doesn’t have the upper hand. Many of my patients complain their hands look much older than their true age. This might be because we are better at applying skincare products to our face than hands. It might be because we drive frequently putting our hands in the sun’s harmful rays while our faces stay shaded. Protruding veins and tendons tend to develop over the years as we lose the fat layer in our skin and our skin thins. Luckily, we have great treatment options for the hands. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Creams, serums, lotions. If you apply good skincare to your face pump it into the back of your hand first and apply from there. Whatever product you have left over on your hand just rub it in. SkinMedica total defense and repair sunscreen is a great hand option because it prevents premature photoaging and has antioxidants that repair Brown spots.
2. IPL. While not a true laser, the intense pulse light device is one of my favorites for hands. It has great results with treating brown spots and it helps to tighten the skin as well. We recommend 3-5 treatments for optimal results.
3. Radiesse. This is a filler that lasts 6-12 months in the hands. If your concern is crinkly skin and protruding veins and tendons then this is the option for you. It’s a quick in office procedure with immediate results and no real downtime.
4. ATV. This laser is great for specific brown spots that are driving you nuts. Great for people who don’t need the entire hand treated but just one or two spots. Very effective in results and cost.
5. Chemical peels. Although I do have this tool in the JD toolbox, in my opinion the lasers and devices we have are more controlled and offer the best results for the hands. I will commonly use a TCA peel for actinic keratosis on the arms and hands which need to be treated for medical reasons rather than solely cosmetic. This brings us to the point of how important it is to have your skin evaluated by a dermatologist before cosmetic procedures.

Don’t neglect those pretty hands. E-mail Margaret@johnsondermatology.com for your free consult ASAP because our Gratitude Week Celebration is coming up and all the procedures and products discussed here will be 20% off!

Feeling grateful, thankful and blessed, Nina

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