Hand rejuvenation? Don't neglect the fingers

Researchers recommend extending hand rejuvenation to the fingers for “global” hand aesthetics.

August 25, 2015

2 Min Read
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Rejuvenation of the hand, particularly the dorsum, has garnered increased attention in recent years largely due to its unique aesthetic in the quest to anti-age. Experts have advocated various methods for achieving optimal aesthetic results.

Expanding on the approach to hand rejuvenation, Tommaso Agostini, M.D., and Rafaella Perello, M.D., both of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Centro Chirurgico San Paolo in Pistoia, Italy, recently report on lipotransfer to the hand as well as the radial and ulnar aspects of the fingers, or what the authors refer to as “global” hand rejuvenation.

Drs. Agostini and Perello conducted a retrospective review of 22 women who had undergone global hand rejuvenation using lipotransfer. Aesthetic outcomes were assessed objectively by serial photography and subjectively by patient self-assessments.

Related: Structural fat grafting fills, rejuvenates hands

The study found that of the 22 patients, 21 indicated that they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the procedure. Other plastic surgeons noted improvements in the aesthetic appearance of the hands after treatment. There were no reported major postoperative complications.

“The findings highlight the importance of structural fat grafting devoted to the rejuvenation of the hand, including the fingers,” Dr. Agostini tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. “We describe a new mini-invasive technique to enhance both the dorsum and the fingers, which have been neglected until now.”

Dr. Agostini says global hand rejuvenation should aim to restore volume and reduce skin laxity to reverse the signs of extrinsic aging.

“The fingers represent almost 50% of the length of the hand and should be included in treatments to achieve optimal aesthetic outcomes,” he says. “Our case series of 22 women who underwent this procedure reported full satisfaction without complications. The most important advantage relies in using tissue harvested from different sites of the  patient’s body, such as the abdomen, thus improving the donor site as well.”

The study was published in the August issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

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