Hand Rejuvenation for Aging Hands
Treating Ageing Hands
Hand rejuvenation is a customised treatment plan for age related volume loss, visible veins and tendons, brown spots, thinning skin, and textural change on the backs of the hands. Hands often show age before the face does, and the contrast between a treated face and untreated hands is one of the most common reasons patients ask about this.
Hands give age away, and they do it in several ways at once: the padding underneath thins out so veins and tendons stand up, brown spots appear, and the skin itself gets thin and crinkly. Hands often look older than the face, and the mismatch is what brings most people in.
Aging Hands / Hand Rejuvenation: the essentials
The short version
Volume loss, prominent veins/tendons, brown spots, thin or crepey skin, fine lines
Lost padding, veins and tendons standing out, brown spots, thin crinkly skin, fine lines.
Dermal filler such as Restylane, RHA or Juvederm; pigment directed laser such as a picosecond device; fractional treatment such as Fraxel FTX; light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing; Thermage FLX for mild laxity; daily sun protection and home skincare.
Filler such as Restylane, RHA or Juvederm; a picosecond laser for the brown spots; a fractional treatment such as Fraxel FTX; light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing; Thermage FLX if the skin is a little loose; sunscreen every day and a skincare routine at home.
Often about 30 to 45 minutes for an individual session. Combination visits take longer.
Usually about 30 to 45 minutes for one treatment. Longer if treatments are combined.
Usually limited after filler, with minor swelling or bruising for a few days. After laser, redness and darkening of treated spots for several days, varying by device and depth.
Usually very little after filler, with a bit of swelling or bruising for a few days. After a laser, redness and darkening of the treated spots for several days, depending on the machine and how deep it went.
Filler is visible immediately. Laser correction of pigment and texture builds gradually across a course of sessions.
Filler shows the same day. Laser results build up over a course of treatments.
Filler generally lasts about 6 to 16 months depending on the product. Several laser sessions are usually needed for full pigment correction, and many patients return for maintenance about once every 12 months. Ongoing sun protection is essential.
Filler generally lasts about 6 to 16 months, depending on the product. Most people need several laser sessions to clear the pigment fully, and many come back about once a year for maintenance. Sun protection is not optional.
Dr. Gergana Gallacher, who performs all laser treatments personally.
Dr. Gergana Gallacher does all the laser treatments herself.
Treating aging hands
Treating ageing hands
Because the hand ages in more than one layer, no single procedure corrects all of it. Depending on what is actually driving the aged appearance, a plan may combine dermal filler to replace lost volume, a pigment directed laser for sun spots, fractional resurfacing for texture, radiofrequency tightening where there is mild laxity, and daily sun protection to hold the result.
Because the hand ages in several layers, one treatment will not fix all of it. A plan is built around whichever change is doing the most on your hands. It can involve filler to replace the padding, a laser aimed at the brown spots, resurfacing for the texture, a tightening treatment if the skin is a little loose, and sunscreen every day to keep what you gained.
At the Dermatology and Laser Centre, Dr. Gallacher assesses the hands herself, selects the specific technology for each change she finds, and performs all laser treatments personally. Laser work here is not delegated to a technician or an assistant.
Dr. Gallacher examines your hands herself, chooses the machine to match what she finds, and does every laser treatment herself. No technician or assistant does the lasers here.
Why do hands look older with age?
Why do hands look older?
Aging hands reflect both natural volume loss and years of ultraviolet exposure.
Two things at once: the natural loss of padding underneath, and years of sunlight.
- Loss of soft-tissue volume makes veins, tendons, joints, and bones more visible.
- The skin becomes thinner, drier, less elastic, and more finely wrinkled.
- Sun exposure contributes to lentigines or “age spots,” uneven color, and rough texture.
- As the soft padding under the skin thins, the veins, tendons, knuckles and bones underneath start to show.
- The skin itself gets thinner, drier, less springy, and finely wrinkled.
- Sunlight leaves brown spots, uneven colour and a rougher surface.
Which treatments can rejuvenate aging hands?
What treatments are there?
The best plan treats the specific changes that are present rather than using one procedure for every hand. Dr. Gallacher matches the technology to the indication and combines treatments only where the hand needs more than one.
A good plan treats whichever changes you actually have, rather than doing the same thing to every pair of hands. Dr. Gallacher picks the machine to match the problem, and combines treatments only when the hand needs more than one.
| Concern | What is done about it |
|---|---|
| Volume loss | Dermal filler restores the soft tissue padding over the back of the hand, so that tendons, veins, and bony contours look less prominent. Products considered here include Restylane, the RHA Collection, and Juvederm, chosen by the characteristics of the individual hand rather than by habit. |
| Brown spots and sun damage | Pigment directed and fractional devices are used to reduce lentigines, uneven tone, and sun damage. Options include a picosecond laser, Fraxel FTX, and light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing where the photoaging is broader than a few spots. The choice depends on how deep and how widespread the pigment is, and on your skin type. |
| Crepey texture and fine lines | Fractional resurfacing improves the surface quality of thin, finely wrinkled hand skin over time by stimulating new collagen. |
| Mild laxity | Thermage FLX, a monopolar radiofrequency treatment, may be included where there is mild looseness and tightening is clinically appropriate. Its effect is gradual. |
| Concern | What is done about it |
|---|---|
| Lost padding | Filler puts volume back over the back of the hand, so the tendons, veins and knuckles show less. The products used here include Restylane, the RHA Collection and Juvederm. Which one depends on your hand, not on habit. |
| Brown spots and sun damage | Lasers aimed at the pigment reduce the spots and even out the colour. The options are a picosecond laser, Fraxel FTX, and light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing when the sun damage covers more than a few spots. The choice depends on how deep and how widespread the pigment is, and on your skin type. |
| Crinkly texture and fine lines | Resurfacing improves thin, finely wrinkled skin over time by prompting the skin to build new collagen. |
| Mild looseness | Thermage FLX is a radiofrequency treatment that can be added where the skin is slightly loose and tightening makes sense. It works gradually. |
Diagram showing volume loss, visible veins and brown spots on aging hands
A diagram showing lost padding, visible veins and brown spots on ageing hands.
Restoring lost volume: fillers for the hands
Putting the padding back: fillers for the hands
The visible skeleton of an aging hand is largely a volume problem. As the fat pad over the back of the hand thins, the extensor tendons, the dorsal veins, and the bones between them come forward. Replacing a small amount of volume in that plane softens all three at once, without touching the veins themselves.
Dr. Gallacher may use Restylane, the RHA Collection, or Juvederm for this, selected for the individual hand. Filler is placed in the dorsal hand and then moulded so the correction sits evenly rather than in visible pockets. The aim is a hand that looks less hollow, not a hand that looks full.
Filler in the hands is a conservative treatment in her practice. Overcorrection reads immediately on a structure this thin, so she prefers to add less and reassess than to fill the hand in one sitting.
Not every filler carries a specific approval for use on the back of the hand, and some are used in this area off label. Which product is proposed for you, and its approval status, is discussed at your consultation.
Most of what makes a hand look bony is simply lost padding. As the fat over the back of the hand thins, the tendons, the veins and the bones underneath come forward. Putting a little volume back into that layer softens all three at once, without doing anything to the veins themselves.
Dr. Gallacher may use Restylane, the RHA Collection or Juvederm, chosen to suit your hand. The filler goes into the back of the hand and is then smoothed out, so the result is even rather than lumpy. The aim is a hand that looks less hollow, not a hand that looks plumped.
She is deliberately conservative with filler in the hands. On skin this thin, too much shows straight away, so she would rather add less and look again than fill the whole hand in one visit.
Not every filler is specifically approved for the back of the hand, and some are used there off label. She will tell you which product she is suggesting for you, and what its approval covers.
Treating brown spots and sun damage on the hands
Treating brown spots and sun damage on the hands
Pigment on the hands is a record of ultraviolet exposure, and it is treated on its own terms. Filler will not lighten a sun spot, and a pigment laser will not replace lost volume, so these are separate parts of a plan.
Dr. Gallacher selects between a picosecond laser, Fraxel FTX, and light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing according to the pattern in front of her. Discrete, well defined lentigines respond to a pigment directed picosecond device. Diffuse mottling and background sun damage across the whole dorsum are usually better served by a fractional approach such as Fraxel FTX. Where the photoaging includes rough texture and actinic change as well as colour, a light ablative fractional treatment with CO2 or Erbium may be chosen instead.
Most patients benefit from more than one laser session for full correction of pigment and sun spots. This is planned as a short course, not sold as a single visit.
Dr. Gallacher performs every laser treatment herself. She sets the device, the wavelength and the settings for your skin, and she does not delegate the treatment.
Any pigmented lesion that is uncertain or changing is examined and diagnosed before it is treated cosmetically. Sun spots are benign, but other lesions can look very similar on sun damaged hands.
Brown spots on the hands are a record of sun exposure, and they need their own treatment. Filler will not lighten a spot, and a pigment laser will not put padding back. They are separate jobs.
Dr. Gallacher chooses between a picosecond laser, Fraxel FTX, and light CO2 or Erbium resurfacing, based on what your hands actually look like. Clear, separate brown spots respond well to a picosecond laser aimed at the pigment. Patchy, all over discolouration usually does better with a fractional treatment such as Fraxel FTX. If the skin is rough and sun damaged as well as discoloured, she may choose a light CO2 or Erbium treatment instead.
Most people need more than one laser session to clear the pigment properly. It is planned as a short course from the start, not sold to you as one visit.
Dr. Gallacher does every laser treatment herself. She chooses the device and sets it for your skin, and she does not hand the treatment to anyone else.
Any brown mark she is not sure about, or that has been changing, gets identified before anything is done for appearance. Ordinary sun spots are harmless, but other things can look just like them on sun damaged hands.
What improves straight away, and what improves over time
What improves straight away, and what improves over time
The two halves of a hand plan work on different timescales, and it helps to know which is which before you start.
Filler works immediately. Volume is visible as soon as it is placed, so the softening of tendons, veins and bony contours is there on the day, once early swelling settles.
Laser works gradually. Pigment does not disappear at the appointment. Treated spots typically darken first, then flake away over the following days, and the full correction of colour and texture builds across the course of treatment as the skin remodels.
Used together, the two approaches give hands that look naturally younger without surgery. Neither one is a substitute for the other.
The two halves of a hand plan work at different speeds, and it is worth knowing which is which before you start.
Filler works straight away. The volume is there as soon as it is placed, so the tendons, veins and knuckles look softer the same day, once any early swelling has gone down.
Laser works slowly. Brown spots do not vanish at the appointment. They usually go darker first, then flake off over the next few days, and the colour and texture keep improving through the course of treatment as the skin rebuilds.
Put together, the two give naturally younger looking hands without surgery. Neither one does the other one's job.
Which lasers and light treatments are used on aging hands
Which lasers and light treatments are used on the hands
The hands are not treated with one laser. Dr. Gallacher selects the device for the specific change she is treating, because pigment, surface texture, visible vessels and skin thickness each respond to a different wavelength. On the backs of the hands she works with the pulsed dye laser (VBeam), the picosecond laser, the MicroLaser peel using the erbium laser, fractional resurfacing such as Fraxel FTX, a light CO2 resurfacing treatment where deeper texture change is needed, and the long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG on the GentleMax Pro. The pigment-directed devices aim to lighten and, in many cases, clear individual age spots. The fractional and resurfacing devices work at a second level, stimulating new collagen and elastin in the delicate skin on the back of the hand, which is thinner and less forgiving than facial skin and has to be treated at settings chosen for it. The long-pulsed 1064 nm wavelength travels deeper and is absorbed less by surface pigment, which makes it the safer choice in richer skin tones and for prominent superficial vessels. Which of these you are offered depends on your skin, your pigment and what is actually causing the aged appearance, and Dr. Gallacher performs every laser treatment herself.
There is no single laser for hands. Dr. Gallacher picks the machine to match the change she is treating, because brown spots, rough texture, visible vessels and thin skin each need a different wavelength of light. On the backs of the hands she uses the pulsed dye laser (VBeam), the picosecond laser, the MicroLaser peel with the erbium laser, fractional resurfacing such as Fraxel FTX, a light CO2 treatment where the texture change is deeper, and the long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd:YAG on the GentleMax Pro. The ones aimed at pigment lighten the brown spots, and often clear individual spots completely. The resurfacing ones do a second job: they build new collagen and elastin in the skin on the back of the hand, which is thin and delicate and has to be treated at settings chosen for it, not settings meant for a face. The 1064 nm wavelength goes deeper and is taken up less by surface pigment, so it is the safer option in darker skin and for visible vessels near the surface. Which one you are offered depends on your skin, your spots and what is actually making your hands look older. Dr. Gallacher does every laser treatment herself.
Laser treatment for the hands is given as a course, not a single visit
Laser treatment on the hands is a course, not one visit
Light and laser treatment on the hands is administered in a series. A single session will usually lighten some pigment, but most patients need several treatments spaced apart for the pigment correction to be even and complete, and for the collagen and elastin response in the skin to build. The number is decided by what the hands look like at the start and how they respond, not fixed in advance. Once the course is finished, many patients return for a maintenance session about once a year, because the hands go on aging and new sun damage keeps arriving. Dr. Gallacher will tell you at the consultation roughly how many sessions she expects your hands to need, and she will revise that as she sees how your skin responds.
Laser and light work on the hands is done as a course, not in one visit. One session usually lightens some of the spots, but most people need several sessions, spaced out, before the color is even and the skin has built new collagen. How many you need depends on how your hands look at the start and how they respond. It is not decided in advance. After the course, many people come back for a top up about once a year, because hands keep aging and new sun damage keeps arriving. Dr. Gallacher will tell you at the consultation roughly how many sessions she expects, and she will change that number if your skin responds differently.
Skin tightening for the hands: Thermage FLX
Firming the skin on the hands: Thermage FLX
Where the main issue is mild looseness rather than lost volume or pigment, Thermage FLX may be added to the plan. It is a radiofrequency treatment that heats the deeper layer of the skin to prompt gradual collagen remodeling, and it is a tightening treatment rather than a volume treatment or a pigment treatment. It will not replace lost padding and it will not remove a sun spot, so it is used alongside filler or laser work rather than instead of them. The change is gradual and develops over the months after treatment.
If the main problem is mild looseness rather than lost padding or brown spots, Thermage FLX may be added to the plan. It is a radiofrequency treatment. It heats the deeper layer of skin so that the skin gradually rebuilds collagen. It tightens. It does not put padding back and it does not remove a brown spot, so it is used alongside filler or laser work, not instead of them. The change comes on slowly over the months after treatment.
Should every brown spot on the hand be treated cosmetically?
Should every brown spot just be lasered off?
No. A dermatologist should assess uncertain or changing pigmented lesions before cosmetic laser treatment.
No. Anything a doctor is unsure about, or that has been changing, gets examined before any cosmetic laser goes near it.
Solar lentigines are benign, but other pigmented lesions can look similar. Diagnostic evaluation comes before cosmetic removal when there is any doubt.
The ordinary brown spots that come from sun are harmless. But other things can look very like them. If there is any doubt, it gets identified first, not removed for appearance.
Who is hand rejuvenation for?
Who is this for?
It is most useful for adults bothered by visible volume loss, sun spots, or textural aging on the backs of their hands.
Adults who are bothered by the loss of padding, the sun spots, or the crinkly texture on the backs of their hands.
- You want a nonsurgical approach to hand aging.
- You understand that pigment, volume, and skin texture may need different treatments.
- You can follow sun-protection and aftercare instructions.
- You would rather not have surgery.
- You understand that the colour, the padding and the texture may each need a different treatment.
- You are willing to protect your hands from the sun and follow the aftercare.
Who may not be suited to a particular hand treatment?
Who should wait?
Suitability depends on the specific procedure. Active infection, poor healing, certain medical conditions, recent tanning, or an undiagnosed pigmented lesion may require postponing or changing treatment.
It depends which treatment. An infection there now, poor healing, certain medical conditions, a recent tan, or a brown spot nobody has identified yet, can all mean waiting or changing the plan.
What are the benefits and risks?
What are the benefits and risks?
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Potential benefits | More balanced hand volume, less prominent underlying structures, clearer tone, smoother texture, and a hand appearance that better matches facial rejuvenation. |
| Filler effects | Temporary swelling, tenderness, bruising, or contour irregularity can occur. Rare but serious vascular complications are possible with injectable fillers. |
| Laser/light effects | Temporary redness, swelling, darkening or crusting of treated spots, and pigment change can occur; risk varies by device, settings, and skin tone. |
What you can gain Hands that look less bony and hollow, with the veins and tendons less obvious, clearer colour, smoother texture, and hands that match a face that has been treated.
Filler risks Swelling, tenderness, bruising, or a lumpy contour. Rarely, filler can block a blood vessel, which is serious.
Laser and light risks Redness, swelling, treated spots going dark and crusting before they clear, and changes in skin colour. How likely depends on the machine, the settings and your skin tone.
What is recovery like after hand rejuvenation?
What is the recovery like?
Filler typically allows a quick return to routine activities, while laser recovery varies from transient redness to several days of visible pigment darkening or peeling depending on the treatment.
After filler most people carry on as normal. After a laser it ranges from a bit of redness to several days where the treated spots darken and flake off, depending on what was done.
There is little or no downtime, but what you see afterwards is different for filler and for laser.
After filler you may have slight swelling, bruising or tenderness where the injections went in. That usually settles within a few days, and most people go straight back to normal. If you bruise after an injection with us, we treat it with the VBeam laser and do not charge for it.
After a laser expect some redness and mild swelling. The treated spots usually go darker before flaking off over the next few days, leaving clearer skin. Recovery takes longer and shows more after a resurfacing treatment than after a pigment laser, so the plan is agreed in advance and timed around what you have on.
Skin on the hands is thinner than facial skin and heals more slowly. The settings take that into account, and the aftercare matters more than people expect.
Hand rejuvenation requires little to no downtime, although what you see afterwards differs between filler and laser.
After filler, there may be minor swelling, bruising, or tenderness at the injection sites. These effects typically settle within a few days, and most patients return to their usual activities immediately. Any bruise from an injection given here is treated with the VBeam laser at no charge.
After laser treatment, expect temporary redness and mild swelling. Treated pigment commonly darkens before it flakes away over the following days, revealing clearer skin underneath. Recovery is longer and more visible after ablative resurfacing than after a pigment directed treatment, so the plan is discussed in advance and timed around your commitments.
Hand skin is thinner and heals more slowly than facial skin. Settings here are chosen accordingly, and aftercare instructions matter more than patients expect.
How long do hand rejuvenation results last?
How long do the results last?
How long the result lasts depends on what was treated and how. Filler is temporary: on the hands it lasts 6 to 16 months depending on which filler is used, and it is topped up when the volume starts to go. Pigment clearance and the texture improvement from resurfacing can last a long time, but the hands go on aging and new sun damage keeps accumulating, so daily sun protection is what determines whether the result holds. Tightening from radiofrequency develops gradually and also softens over time. Many patients settle into one maintenance session a year.
It depends what was treated and how. Filler is temporary. On hands it lasts 6 to 16 months, depending on which filler is used, and it is topped up when the fullness starts to go. Clearing brown spots and improving the texture can last a long time, but your hands keep aging and new sun damage keeps arriving, so whether the result holds comes down to daily sun protection. Tightening builds up slowly and also fades slowly. Many people end up having one maintenance session a year.
The benefit of laser treatment on the hands is long lasting, provided the hands are protected from the sun and supported by a sensible skincare regimen. Most patients need several laser sessions to reach full pigment correction rather than one.
Many patients then book a maintenance session about once every 12 months, so that their hands stay consistent with their face.
Laser results on the hands last well, as long as you keep the sun off them and look after the skin properly. Most people need several laser sessions to clear the pigment fully, rather than one.
After that, many patients come back for a maintenance session about once a year, so their hands keep matching their face.
Keeping the result
Keeping the result
Hands are the hardest area to protect, because they are exposed every day and washed many times a day. The durability of a hand result depends heavily on what happens after treatment.
Daily broad spectrum sun protection on the backs of the hands, reapplied after washing, is the single most important measure. Alongside it, a simple maintenance skincare regimen for the hands supports the improvement in texture and helps hold the pigment result. Dr. Gallacher will set out what to use, and when, for the treatment you have had.
New sun exposure produces new spots. Sun protection is not aftercare that ends when the redness does.
Hands are the hardest part of the body to protect. They are out in daylight all day and washed several times a day, and how you look after them decides how long the result lasts.
Sunscreen on the backs of the hands every day, put on again after washing, matters more than anything else. A simple skincare routine for the hands alongside it supports the texture and helps hold on to the colour result. Dr. Gallacher will tell you what to use and when, for the treatment you have had.
New sun makes new spots. Sun protection is not something that stops when the redness does.
Sun protection: the one instruction that is not optional
Sun protection: the one rule that is not optional
Before, during and after hand rejuvenation, apply a broad spectrum sunblock with an SPF of 30 or above to the backs of the hands every day. This is the single most important thing you can do to protect the result. Hands take more incidental ultraviolet exposure than almost any other site, most of it while driving, walking and working rather than while sunbathing, and they are the part of the body people most reliably forget. New sun damage will undo cleared pigment, and unprotected skin heals less predictably after laser treatment. Reapply after washing your hands.
Before, during and after hand rejuvenation, put a broad spectrum sunblock of SPF 30 or higher on the backs of your hands every day. This is the most important thing you can do to keep the result. Your hands get more sunlight than almost any other part of you, most of it while driving, walking and working rather than sunbathing, and they are the part people most reliably forget. New sun damage will bring the brown spots back, and unprotected skin heals less predictably after a laser. Put it on again after you wash your hands.
Who performs your treatment
Who does the treatment
Dr. Gallacher performs all laser and energy based treatments herself. Assessment, device selection, settings, and the treatment itself are hers. They are not delegated to a technician, a nurse, or an assistant.
This matters most on the hands. Hand skin is thin, it heals more slowly than the face, and pigment on a sun damaged hand needs to be looked at by a dermatologist before it is treated for appearance. The judgement about which device to use, and how hard to push it, is a medical judgement made at the device.
The practice maintains a range of technologies specifically so that the treatment can be chosen for the indication. Where a pigment directed laser is the right answer, that is what is used. Where the hand needs a fractional or a light ablative approach instead, that is what is used. The plan is not shaped by which single machine happens to be in the room.
Dr. Gallacher does all the laser treatments herself. She examines you, chooses the machine, sets it, and performs the treatment. None of it is passed to a technician, a nurse or an assistant.
That matters most on hands. The skin there is thin, it heals more slowly than the face, and brown marks on a sun damaged hand need a dermatologist to look at them before anyone treats them for appearance. Deciding which device to use, and how far to push it, is a medical decision made at the machine.
The practice keeps a range of technologies on purpose, so the treatment can be matched to the problem. If a pigment laser is the right answer, that is what you get. If your hands need a fractional or a light resurfacing treatment instead, that is what you get. The plan is not decided by whichever machine happens to be in the room.
Why choose Dermatology and Laser Centre
Why choose Dermatology and Laser Centre
Dr. Gallacher has expert credentials. She is a board-certified dermatologist with fellowship training in laser and cosmetic dermatology, she completed her dermatology residency at UC Davis, and she has held faculty appointments at both UC Davis and Stanford. Only a small number of board-certified dermatologists in the United States are both fellowship-trained in lasers and have taught at that level. She adheres to the highest clinical and ethical standards, and brings extensive knowledge of the skin together with substantial experience in laser surgery. In practice that means the diagnosis comes before the cosmetic plan, the technology is selected for the specific indication rather than because one device is being used for everything, and the procedure is performed by the physician. Nothing about the treatment is shortened to save time.
Dr. Gallacher is highly qualified. She is a board certified skin doctor with an extra fellowship year of training in lasers and cosmetic work, she trained as a dermatologist at UC Davis, and she has taught at both UC Davis and Stanford. Only a small number of board certified skin doctors in the United States have both the laser fellowship and that teaching background. She holds herself to the highest clinical and ethical standards, and she combines deep knowledge of the skin with a lot of experience in laser surgery. What that means for you: she works out what is going on before planning any cosmetic treatment, she picks the machine that suits your particular problem rather than using one machine for everything, and she does the procedure herself. Nothing is cut short to save time.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
The pictures below show the kind of change treatment of brown spots and sun damage can make, including on the hands. They are shown to illustrate what the treatments do, not to predict your own outcome. Drag the divider to compare, or open any picture for the detail. Individual results vary.
The pictures below show the kind of change treating brown spots and sun damage can make, including on the hands. They are there to show what the treatments do, not to predict your result. Drag the line across to compare, or open any picture to see it larger. Results are different for everyone.
Getting in touch
Getting in touch
Talk to Dr. Gallacher about your hands. Call (925) 820-3376, or request an appointment and tell us the time that suits you.
Talk to Dr. Gallacher about your hands. Call (925) 820-3376, or request an appointment and tell us when suits you.
Questions patients ask
How long does hand rejuvenation last?
How long does it last?
In Dr. Gallacher's practice, filler results in the hands are visible immediately after treatment and generally last around 6 to 16 months, depending on the product used. The exact figure depends on which filler is chosen for you, so ask about the one being proposed.
In Dr. Gallacher's practice, filler in the hands shows immediately and generally lasts about 6 to 16 months, depending on the product. The exact figure depends on which filler she uses for you, so ask about that one.
What is the downtime?
Will I need time off?
Many filler patients resume normal activity right away, although swelling or bruising may be visible for several days. Laser treatment can cause redness, swelling, or temporary darkening and flaking of pigmented spots.
After filler, most people carry straight on, though swelling or bruising can show for several days. After a laser you may be red and swollen, and the treated spots may darken and flake.
How long does an appointment take?
How long is the appointment?
Most individual hand sessions take about 30 to 45 minutes. Patients can usually return to work or errands straight after leaving the clinic. Combination plans, where more than one treatment is carried out in the same visit, take longer.
Most single hand treatments take about 30 to 45 minutes. You can usually go back to work or carry on with your day as soon as you leave. If more than one treatment is done in the same visit, it takes longer.
Is hand rejuvenation painful?
Does it hurt?
Hand rejuvenation is well tolerated. Numbing cream may be applied before treatment, and cooling or other comfort measures are used where they help. Most patients describe the experience as quick and comfortable.
It is easily tolerated. Numbing cream can be used beforehand, and cooling or other comfort measures are used where they help. Most people describe it as quick and comfortable.
How many sessions will I need?
How many sessions will I need?
Filler is usually a single appointment, with a review afterwards. Laser and light treatment on the hands is given in a series, and the number of sessions depends on how much pigment there is, how deep it sits and how your skin responds. Dr. Gallacher will give you an expected number at the consultation and revise it as your hands respond.
Filler is usually one appointment, with a check afterwards. Laser and light work is done as a course. How many sessions depends on how many spots there are, how deep they sit, and how your skin responds. Dr. Gallacher will give you a number at the consultation and change it if your hands respond differently.
Who will actually do my treatment?
Who actually does my treatment?
Dr. Gallacher does. She performs all laser procedures herself and does not delegate them.
Dr. Gallacher does. She performs every laser treatment herself and does not hand it to anyone else.
Which filler will be used on my hands?
Which filler will be used on my hands?
That is decided at the consultation. Dr. Gallacher works with the RHA Collection, Restylane and Juvederm, and selects by how much volume has been lost, how thin the overlying skin is and how firm the gel needs to be at that depth. She will name the product she is proposing and explain why she has chosen it before anything is injected.
It is decided at the consultation. Dr. Gallacher uses the RHA Collection, Restylane and Juvederm. She picks based on how much padding has gone, how thin the skin above it is, and how firm the gel needs to be at that depth. She will name the product she is suggesting and explain why, before anything is injected.
Do I really have to wear sunscreen on my hands every day?
Do I really need sunscreen on my hands every day?
Yes. Broad spectrum SPF 30 or above to the backs of the hands, every day, before, during and after your treatment course. It is the difference between a result that holds and one that gradually reverses.
Yes. Broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher, on the backs of the hands, every day, before, during and after your course of treatment. It is the difference between a result that lasts and one that slowly comes undone.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
