Your hands reveal a lot about you. They help you express emotions mid-convo and a fresh manicure signals how you take care of yourself, but they also reveal the first signs of aging. The reason for this is quite simple: We just don’t care for the skin on our hands as much as other areas of the body such as the face, neck, and chest. As someone who is incredibly diligent about my skin care routine from the nipples up (thank you, Joanna Czech for instilling this in my brain), I haven’t given my hands as much love. As such, I started to realize fairly recently that they did not match the youthfulness of my face. It seemed as if my hands were aging at a different rate, an image reminiscent of a scene in The Substance.
“The hands have very thin skin and are exposed to a lot of environmental damage and sun. We do not care for our hands in the same way we do our face. All of these factors lead to aging quickly showing in this area,” says Jennifer Levine, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City.
I considered the problem with my hands (and I use the word problem loosely) to be a combination of a genetic predisposition to exposed veins and tendons and just plain ol’ aging. I wanted to do something about this before it got out of hand (pun intended) so I decided to visit Levine for Radiesse injections, a sort of hybrid filler, to smooth out the backs of my hands. Read on to learn all about Radiesse and my experience getting hand filler.
What Is Radiesse & Why Is It The Best Hand Filler ?
Radiesse is semi-permanent, calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA)-based dermal filler that is formulated to provide both immediate volume to the areas where it’s injected and, in addition, provides long-term collagen stimulation. “Radiesse is a unique [filler] because it not only fills but also stimulates natural collagen production, making it a dual-action solution for rejuvenation,” explains Nicole Ruth, DO, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. When Radiesse is injected, the CaHa particles “create a scaffold in the dermal layer that stimulates fibroblasts to produce collagen for up to one year and elastin for up to nine months,” she adds.
Unlike other fillers, Radiesse is often hyper-diluted, which changes the physical properties of the filler to become more biostimulatory, which means that you get an immediate fill, but with results that will get better over time. “Most practitioners inject hyperdilute Radiesse. This is when the filler is diluted or mixed with saline and/or lidocaine before being injected. This process creates a thinner, more fluid consistency, making it effective for improving skin quality rather than simply adding volume,” explains Ruth.
Though hyaluronic acid-based fillers can be used in the hands, Radiesse is preferred by practitioners for its dual effect. “I prefer Radiesse in the hands because it provides both immediate volumizing and regenerative effects. In addition, it is opaque, it is white in coloring, which means it’s better in masking blood vessels and tendons in the backs of the hands,” says Levine. Ruth also prefers to use Radiesse for the backs of the hands for its natural-looking result. “Radiesse’s ability to integrate seamlessly into the tissues also gives it a superior aesthetic result,” she adds.
Aside from its use in helping to restore the backs of the hands, Radiesse is also commonly used to restore volume in the face, neck, and body that have lost structure and support due to aging. Additionally, Radiesse can be used to contour the buttocks to provide a lifting and firming effect. “The only areas I do not use it on ever are under the eyes and lips,” says Levine.
How To Prepare For Getting Hand Filler
Aside from Levine’s analysis of the backs of my hands to determine if I was a good candidate for the injections (more on that in just a moment), there was not much in terms of preparation for my own Radiesse injections. However, it is advised to avoid blood-thinning medications and supplements, such as aspirin or fish oil about a week prior to reduce the risk of bruising. “It’s also important to come to the appointment with clean hands, free of any lotions or products. I also say to leave your jewelry at home to account for any swelling,” says Ruth. Patients that use their hands a lot, such as those that play piano or engage in fine motor work need to prepare for possible swelling.
As for preparation in determining whether you’re a good candidate or not for Radiesse, Ruth says that if you have any active skin injuries or certain autoimmune conditions to avoid Radiesse. “Patients with thin, fragile skin may also not benefit as much from Radiesse, as their skin might not adequately support the filler,” she adds.
Price is another factor to consider before booking an appointment. The cost of Radiesse depends upon provider, geographic location, and the number of syringes used. It is typically around the same price as other fillers and you can expect to pay $800 to $1,500 per syringe.
My Experience Getting Hand Filler
I visited Levine’s office on the Upper East Side for my Radiesse appointment. Though I had performed my own self-assessment on my hands at home, my thoughts were in line with Levine’s expert opinion, and she agreed I was a good candidate for getting the filler injected in the backs of my hands.
“When we’re looking at the hands we look at two things; one is the exposure of the veins and tendons and then, second, we also want to look at the skin quality, such as if there are spots [sun damage] or anything such as that,” explains Levine. She determined that the skin quality on the backs of hands looked good (thank you to the retinol I started using on my hands recently and my daily sunscreen usage), there were no sun spots, but there was some noticeable exposure of tendons and vessels.
Prior to injecting, and also because I tend to ask a million questions (I’m a beauty journalist so it comes with the territory), Levine explained to me how she would be approaching my injections. Instead of making numerous injections of Radiesse to fill my hands, she would use a cannula for one single injection of the product into both of my hands. A cannula tends to be used when you’re injecting product into a larger area; it allows for a much smoother result and with less bruising.
She started by cleaning my hands with an alcohol wipe and then injected both of my hands with lidocaine to numb them, which took effect immediately. It was at this point that I turned my head away because I simply could not stomach watching something being poked and prodded into my hands.
Levine created an “injection port” to place the cannula under my skin, and began to inject the hyperdilute Radiesse into my right hand. The injection took mere seconds and she massaged the product around my hands. She repeated the same thing on my left hand. In a matter of a few short minutes, I was done. I finally turned my head back to look at my hands and upon seeing them I was shocked at how different they now looked: plump and rejuvenated. My skin appeared smooth and any trace of veins and tendons were completely gone. It was almost hard to believe she had used only one syringe of Radiesse between my two hands.
My hands before Radiesse injections.
What Does Aftercare Look Like?
There is little to no aftercare with hand filler. After finishing the injections, Levine placed two small ice packs on each of my hands to prevent swelling. “I recommend that people ice [the backs of their hands] and keep them elevated for the first 48 hours. Sometimes a light massage with hand cream can help with swelling,” she says. It’s also advised to refrain from any strenuous activity during that gap of time and avoid any excessive heat exposure. Levine instructed that I also steer clear of using my retinol that evening because I had an open wound (aka the “injection port”) on the backs of my hands.
The following day, it was back to business as usual with my hands though they were noticeably swollen and they hurt a little while lifting and typing. I had expected that this would happen; it was a weird feeling but it went away a few days post-injection.
My Results
I can’t say enough good things about my experience — I absolutely love my results. I feel as though the injections took about a decade off of my hands. “You are going to see immediate improvement and it will continue to improve over the next three months as it builds collagen and elastin,” says Levine. Ruth adds that initial collagen regeneration will start to take effect around the four-week mark after initial injection.
Because the hands are an area of high use, Levine treats them conservatively, starting with one syringe (which she did for me) for both hands. She cautions against injecting too much to start because of swelling and to wait a few weeks to see if more is needed. “Patients will need one to three treatments depending on the baseline condition,” says Ruth.
I’m only about two weeks post-injection and I have noticed that my hands ballooned again after initially swelling immediately after injection. I’m unsure if my body is retaining more water but the swelling does not bother me in any way. The backs of my hands look amazing, the skin quality on the backs of my hands has improved drastically, and I predict that I won’t have to go back for an additional syringe.
Expect your results to last a year if not more, says Levine. “Some patients may benefit from a touch-up session a few months after the initial treatment, depending on the degree of volume loss and desired outcome,” says Ruth.
My Takeaway
If there’s anything that I have learned from this experience is that you have to treat your hands just as nicely as the rest of your skin. If you feel like the backs of your hands are not as sprightly as they used to be, then a filler, such as Radiesse, can really liven them up.
“I think people are understanding that the approach to anti-aging isn’t just about focusing on the facial skin. We have to look at the body as a whole and not forget the hands. This [recent] trend in hand rejuvenation highlights the shift toward addressing overlooked areas of aging, focusing on a comprehensive approach to maintaining a youthful appearance,” says Ruth.