Turning back the ‘creepy old hands’ of time

Not surprisingly, these new non-invasive lasers have taken the place of older hand rejuvenation techniques such as chemical peels, which Lorenc calls “passé” and “unforgiving,” since it can be difficult to control how deep the chemical might go.

“Laser is by far my most popular hand procedure,” he says. “It has a very pronounced effect and it offers the most drastic improvement. In my practice, the overwhelming concern is age spots versus volume.”

Such was certainly the case for Wendy Merrill of Sausalito, Calif., who, at 50, thinks of her thin hands as “Audrey Hepburn chic” but finds her age spots much less charming.

“When I was 30, it was a cute freckle, but when I turned 50, it suddenly became an age spot,” says Merrill, who owns her own marketing/communications company and spent $250 for 20 minutes worth of DioLite laser therapy. “I have a certainly amount of vanity and want to maintain my looks and take care of myself, but I’m not going to go over the top. This didn’t really hurt and it wasn’t a lot of money — I spend that much on a pair of shoes if I really want them. And it made me feel better, more confident and happier.”

While numbers on the cosmetic hand procedures performed in the U.S. aren’t available, Dr. Kimberly J. Butterwick, a dermatologist in La Jolla, Calif., says the number of “hand lift” patients has been increasing over the last few years, especially as new procedures become available.

“I see maybe one hand patient a day of some sort,” she says. “But there has been more interest in the hands and more publicity about what can be done now. The interest seems to follow the technology.”

‘You put your hand up to your face and your face looks fine. But there’s a creepy old hand up there.’ — Jo Anne Wagner, 66-year-old hand model and actress

Butterwick says most of the patients she sees for hand work are women “Our skin is thinner, we’re out in the sun more and our hands are part of our beauty,” she reasons. And while these women may not be “old hands” at cosmetic procedures, the majority of them have had previous work done.

Face first
“It’s usually not the first entry, that’s always the face,” she says. “But after a while, the more seasoned patient will say, let’s treat the hands, too.”

Of course, there are still many who for reasons fiscal or philosophical, prefer to keep things “old school.”

“I’ve certainly noticed that my hands look much older than they used to, much more bony and wrinkled,” says Theresa Shadrix, a 36-year-old, fashion/beauty columnist from Anniston, Ala. “But I’m a wimp when it comes to cosmetic procedures.”

Instead of turning to flashing lights or dermal fillers, Shadrix says she’s become a “moisturizing freak.” She slathers on sunscreen whenever she goes outside, wears gloves (when it’s cold out and when she’s doing dishes), opts for soap and water instead of alcohol-based hand sanitizers (which dry out her skin) and, all in all, tries to keep both her beauty and our culture’s fixation with it in perspective.

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“It seems over the top to plump your skin up,” she says. “And it makes me wonder, ‘Are you just bored and you’ve done stuff everywhere else, so let’s try the hands?’”

An observation that does seem to beg the question — what’s next?

“Nothing surprises me anymore,” says Beer of Palm Beach. “If somebody in Hollywood starts to talk about getting their elbows done, I guarantee doctors will line up to take the course.”

Diane Mapes is a Seattle freelance writer and author of "How to Date in a Post-Dating World."

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