London - We have all heard of face lifts and tummy tucks, but now a rather less familiar treatment is on the rise: the “hand lift”.
Cosmetic surgeons say growing numbers of middle-aged women in the UK are requesting the procedure, which involves having fillers or fat pumped into the backs of the hands to make them look plumper and less veiny.
As we get older we lose muscle bulk, while a change in hormone levels causes the skin to become thinner – and the hands are one of the most obvious places that can give our age away.
A number of celebrities have fallen foul of the problem recently. Fans have noted that stars including Madonna, 57, and Nicole Kidman, 48, have young-looking faces and bodies but their hands do not match.
Cosmetic surgeon Dr David Jack said he has done three to four times as many hand filler treatments at his Harley Street clinic so far this year than he did last year. He said his typical client for the procedure, which costs £450 (about R10 000) and lasts for around two years, is a wealthy woman aged between 40 and 60. Cosmetic surgery group Transform said it too has noticed an increase in patients requesting fillers for their hands.
Anne Marie Gillett, the company’s non-surgical director, said: “We find that patients come to us in their late 30s and 40s and have neglected their hands in the past and find this as a dead giveaway to their age.”
Fazel Fatah, a consultant plastic surgeon, said patients can also have fat transferred to their hands from other parts of their body, such as their tummy or thighs, instead of using fillers. The procedure is more expensive, costing around £3 500, but permanent.
He said the treatment is popular with older women who have had work done on their face, adding: “They become self-conscious and want their hands to look as good as their face. It’s about conformity of appearance.”
Lesley Blair, vice-chairperson of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, said our hands are “the first thing that gives our age away” because we are constantly using them but then often overlook them in beauty regimes.
Daily Mail