Turn Back the Hands of Time

Jeffrey Sassmannshausen, MD

I am getting old. Just the other day I was looking at my hands and I thought to myself, “Holy cow, I have my dad’s hands!” This was quite disheartening. We spend so much time keeping our faces youthful and protected, but often, other parts of the body will give away our age. Yes, we can make the hands look so much better!

As always, any anti-aging discussion starts with prevention. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. We want to prevent, or slow down, the loss of elasticity and stop the development of those pesky “liver spots”. I continue to feel Blue Lizard is one of the best sunscreens. But don’t forget the powder sunscreen from Colorescience and jane iredale. Or try the SkinMedica superscreen, Total Defense and Repair, which protects from the sun, infrared radiation, and pollution.

As we mature, our hands lose much of their support structure.They become hollow and boney. We can replace that volume and bring back a plump, youthful hand. Juvéderm Voluma or Restylane Defyne are two products that will immediately make a difference and can last up to 2 years. The procedure is relatively painless and there is no downtime.

What about the skin changes such as thinning of the skin, loss of elasticity, and sun spots? This is simple to tackle, while helping your face as well. SkinMedica TNS Advanced+ is the answer. When using A+ for your face, mix the two parts on the back of your hand. After applying to your face, rub the back of your hands together. You will begin to see changes in 6 weeks.

If you have numerous brown spots, we can fix that as well. Chemical peels can be used to even out pigmentation. These are mild and do not limit activities from irritation. The Diamond Glow Dermalinfusion also has a serum just for brown spots. This non-invasive procedure can also help with dry skin. Laser is very effective for hyperpigmentation from sun damage. Usually, 1 or 2 treatments and the spots are gone.

So, look down, see the hands. What is your first thought? If you cringe a little, call the office for a consultation. 260-436-9696