There are few places on your body that tell your age faster than your hands. As rejuvenation trends tend to focus on the skin above the neck, the skin on the backs of the hands is very often left out of aesthetic conversations. Hands are exposed to considerable stress every day, making them susceptible to the effects of aging, such as sun spots, laxity, loss of volume, and protruding blood vessels. When skin care alone isn’t enough, injectable biostimulants like Radiesse can be a magical elixir to restore the skin on the backs of your hands.

“As we age, we lose fat, collagen, and skin thickness on the backs of our hands, so tendons, veins, and bones become more visible, even in healthy people,” says New York dermatologist Dr. Shereen Taymor. Just like promising yourself a quarterly neurotoxin treatment and laser appointment, this is a sign that it’s time to take your self-care to the back of your hands.

Here’s a closer look at what Radiesse is, how it works, and why this injectable’s results get better over time.

featured experts

Dr. Shereen Taymor is a board-certified dermatologist in New York State Dr. Janine Hopkins is a board-certified dermatologist in Southlake, Texas

What is Radiesse?

“Radiesse is an FDA-approved dermal filler made of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel carrier. It is the only calcium hydroxyapatite filler FDA-approved for hand augmentation,” says Janine Hopkins, MD, a dermatologist in Southlake, Texas. What makes Radiesse unique among commercially available fillers is that it functions as both a filler and a biostimulant. Not only does it restore volume instantly, but over time it stimulates your body’s natural collagen production, creating a smoother, more youthful appearance.

How does Radiesse work?

Dr. Taymor says the goal of hand rejuvenation is not to make your hands look swollen, but to restore the soft, youthful padding that your hands have lost over time. “Radiiesse works by instantly restoring volume in a gel carrier, helping to camouflage these underlying structures by creating a smoother, plumper appearance.” She further explained that Radiesse doesn’t exactly “negate” the blue color of your veins, but rather increases the thickness and volume of the tissue lining them, making them much less noticeable.

“Over the next few months, the calcium hydroxylapatite particles stimulate fibroblasts to produce new collagen, improving skin quality and helping maintain a rejuvenated appearance even after the initial gel has been absorbed,” says Dr. Taymor.

Injecting Radiesse into your hands is a little more subtle than simply adding old filler to the area. “Hand rejuvenation is about restoring youthful anatomy,” says Dr. Hopkins. A blunt-tipped cannula should be used, as Dr. Hopkins explains that this method not only distributes the product evenly, but also helps minimize bruising and improve safety. “The goal is to preserve the natural contours of your hands while only replacing the lost volume. With careful placement and massage, you can achieve soft, natural-looking results,” she adds.

Typically, most patients require one syringe in each hand (two syringes total) for noticeable rejuvenation. However, Dr. Taymor says that amount also depends on the patient’s anatomy and the degree of volume loss. The duration of effects varies depending on the individual, metabolism, lifestyle, degree of aging, and amount injected, but in most cases, the duration of effects is approximately 12 to 18 months. “Because it stimulates collagen production, many patients find that improvements in skin quality persist even as the filler itself gradually breaks down,” says Dr. Taymor.

Radiesse vs. fat grafting

Radiesse and fat grafting each have their own benefits. Ultimately, your choice will be determined by your personal preferences, anatomy, and desired downtime. “For those seeking hand rejuvenation, Radiesse is an in-office procedure with minimal downtime, predictable results, and the added benefit of stimulating new collagen,” says Dr. Hopkins. It’s an excellent option for patients with mild to moderate volume loss, Dr. Taymor added.

Fat grafting, on the other hand, is a surgical procedure in which fat is harvested and transferred to an area of ​​the body, such as the hands, to revolume the area. Although fat grafting can produce longer-lasting results, “long-term results are less predictable because not all of the fat transplanted survives,” says Dr. Hopkins. Additionally, fat grafting requires a longer recovery period.

Dr. Hopkins prefers to take a combined approach when it comes to hand rejuvenation. “I love Radiesse for the hands. It helps rebuild rather than just fill in. That said, I also often do IPL treatments and fractionated resurfacing with exosomes to improve skin health and quality.”

As always, applying and reapplying SPF is at the top of good habits, not only to protect your investment, but also to keep your hands looking youthful.