Few places on the body reveal your age faster than your hands do. Too frequently, the skin on the backs of your hands is left out of the aesthetics conversation, as rejuvenation trends tend to focus on the skin from the neck up. Your hands endure quite a bit every day, making them just as susceptible to the effects of aging— including sun spots, loss of laxity and volume, and protruding veins. When skin care just isn’t enough, injectable biostimulators like Radiesse can be the magical elixir that restores the skin on the backs of your hands.
“As we age, we lose fat, collagen and skin thickness on the backs of the hands. This makes tendons, veins, and bones much more noticeable, even in otherwise healthy individuals,” says New York dermatologist Dr. Shereen Teymour. Just as you commit to your quarterly neurotoxin and laser appointments, this is your sign that it’s time to take your self-care down to the backs of your hands.
Ahead, we break down what Radiesse is, how it works and why the results of this injectable only get better over time.
Featured experts
- Dr. Shereen Teymour is a board-certified dermatologist in New York
- Janine Hopkins, MD is a board-certified dermatologists in Southlake, TX
What is Radiesse?
“Radiesse is an FDA-approved dermal filler made of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel carrier. It is the only FDA-approved calcium hydroxylapatite filler for hand augmentation,” says Southlake, TX dermatologist Janine Hopkins, MD. What makes Radiesse unique among fillers on the market is that it functions as both a filler and a biostimulator. Not only does it restore volume immediately, but it also stimulates the body’s natural collagen production over time, creating a smoother, more youthful appearance.
How does Radiesse work?
The goal with hand rejuvenation, Dr. Teymour says, isn’t to make the hands look puffy but to restore the soft, youthful padding that’s been lost over time. “Radiesse works by immediately restoring volume with its gel carrier, which helps camouflage these underlying structures by creating a smoother, fuller appearance.” She further explains that Radiesse doesn’t exactly “cancel out” the blue color of veins, rather, it increases the thickness and volume of the tissue overlying them, making the veins much less visible.
“Over the following months, the calcium hydroxylapatite particles stimulate fibroblasts to produce new collagen, helping improve skin quality and maintain the rejuvenated appearance even after the initial gel has been absorbed,” says Dr. Teymour.
Injecting Radiesse into the hands is a little more nuanced than simply adding any old filler to the area. “Hand rejuvenation is about restoring youthful anatomy,” says Dr. Hopkins. A blunt-tip cannula should be used as Dr. Hopkins explains that this method helps to not only distribute the product evenly, but it helps to minimize bruising and improves safety. “The goal is to replace only the volume that’s been lost while preserving the natural contours of the hand. Careful placement and massage create soft, natural-looking results,” she adds.
Typically, most patients require one syringe per hand (two syringes total) for noticeable rejuvenation. However, Dr. Teymour says the amount also depends on the patient’s anatomy and the extent of volume loss. Most can expect results to last about 12 to 18 months, although longevity varies depending on the individual, metabolism, lifestyle, degree of aging, and the amount injected. “Because it stimulates collagen production, many patients notice that improvements in skin quality can persist even as the filler itself gradually breaks down,” says Dr. Teymour.
Radiesse vs. fat grafting
Radiesse and fat grafting both have their advantages. The choice ultimately depends on personal preference, 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 choice for patients who have mild to moderate volume loss, adds Dr. Teymour.
Fat transfer, on the other hand, is a surgical procedure that harvests fat to transfer to an area of the body, such as the hands, to re-volumize the area. Though fat grafting can provide longer-lasting results, “not all of the transferred fat survives, making long-term results less predictable,” says Dr. Hopkins. Additionally, fat transfer requires a longer recovery period.
Dr. Hopkins likes to employ a combined approach when it comes to hand rejuvenation. “I love Radiesse for the hands. It doesn’t just fill—it helps rebuild. That said, I also commonly perform IPL treatments or fractionated resurfacing with exosomes to improve the skin health and quality.”
And as always, applying and reapplying SPF is the cherry on top of any good routine—not only to protect your investment but also to keep your hands looking youthful.
