Did You Know

You Can Rejuvenate Your Hands With Filler!

How you can revamp tired hands using filler injections

Fillers are a fabulous way of rejuvenating the face, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, plumping out areas that need a bit of help and enhancing areas like the lips and cheeks. But did you know you can also rejuvenate the backs of your hands with filler? We spoke to aesthetic practitioner Dr Zunaid Alli to get the lowdown on this often-overlooked treatment.

Tired of your tired hands? Dr Alli tells us that the body produces less collagen as we get older, and our remaining collagen and elastin fibres become thinner and looser causing wrinkles and sagging. “It’s a treatment that has been around for some time,” says Dr Alli, “Pre-COVID I

Dr Zunaid Alli, aesthetic practitioner, usually saw women roughly 40 years old

Elite Aesthetics, Kent and upwards coming in for this treatment,

IG: @dr.alli.aesthetics but since the pandemic women in their 20s and 30s have been coming into the clinic to combat the effects of excessive hand washing and using high alcohol hand sanitisers, which dehydrate the skin and reduce elasticity.”

How can dermal fillers help? “People who come in for face rejuvenation often exclaim that they wish there was something they could do about their hands, and I say did you know we can actually put a little bit of filler in there?” says Dr Alli. As well as hydrating the hands and restoring a bit of youthful elasticity, filler in the hands can also help other common issues. “Hand filler can be a great treatment for scarring and age spots,” explains Dr Alli, adding, “I use fillers containing hyaluronic acid Before which has incredible hydrating properties that can help break up the scar tissue, and collagen boosting properties which can naturally help repair the area, especially in conjunction with other treatments such as CO2 lasers or LED therapy.” Dr After Alli also points out that younger generations who don’t suffer with age or sunspots have come to him for hand filler to rejuvenate their hands for special occasions, like after they get engaged A 50-year-old female patient before and after hand rejuvenation. Images courtesy of and know their hands will Dr Zunaid Alli. be photographed a lot! How does it work? It’s very similar to facial injectables however, the aim isn’t to add volume or change the structure of the hands, just to add a nice layer of overall hydration and improve the surface texture of the hands. “I inject between 0.5ml and 1ml into each hand, which is roughly the same as the lips,” says Dr Alli. “It’s a pretty quick process,” he adds, “It takes about 20-30 minutes and I inject into a single-entry point at the top of the wrist using a blunted needle called a cannula. The hands are very veiny, and a cannula can move through without causing trauma to the blood vessels, resulting in far less bruising.” Once the filler has been injected into the hands, Dr Alli massages it into place, then disinfects and dresses the point where the cannula goes in.

Does it hurt? “The comfort of my patients is one of the most important things in my clinic,” says Dr Alli. “The hands have a very rich supply of nerves, so I also use either a very strong topical numbing cream or a small amount of local anaesthesia to ensure minimum discomfort. I’ve also found that applying an ice pack during and after the procedure can really help reduce pain,” he explains. If you’re worried about the pain of any aesthetic procedure, be sure to discuss any concerns with your practitioner in the consultation.

Are there any risks? There are risks with any aesthetic procedure which is why, as Dr Alli states, it’s really important to go to a fully qualified and registered medical aesthetic practitioner. “In the consultation, prior to any treatment, it’s important to be honest about any conditions that could cause complications such as previous injuries or a history of chronic inflammation,” he says, “As I’ve already stated, the hands are a very vascular area so despite the cannula technique and ice packs a little bit of bruising is normal, it’s really important that your practitioner massages the filler in to the right spaces in the hands to avoid lumps and any uneven surfaces.”

What’s the recovery time and when will I see results? “You can use your hands straight away!” explains Dr Alli, “There will be a short period of numbing due to the anaesthetic, but this will wear off after about 20 minutes.” Dr Alli recommends no exercise for about 24 hours after treatment, and no products on the hands for about 12 hours to reduce the risk of trauma and infection to the point where the cannula was inserted. “Like with lip filler treatments, you will see results instantly, but a lot of this is swelling, which will usually go down after 24 hours, and the filler will continue to look good for about six to nine months,” says Dr Alli. He adds, “Hand filler can last for a shorter time than facial fillers as the hands are a hypermobile part of the body, and the filler can dissolve a bit quicker than in the lips or cheeks. I recommend patients come back for a top up anywhere between six months to a year, depending on how long the filler has lasted for them.”