Hand Job

We gen Jones women spend endless amounts of hard earned cash on face creams, fillers and injectables to help stave off the ticking clock inevitables on our face, only to be called out on our actual age by our virtually neglected human tentacles at the end of our arms. Those ever loving and highly over used utilitarian appendages we call hands. Not loving the way they act as the marching of time dead giveaways? Me neither. So I asked an expert in the field to find some hands down solid solutions, Beverly Hills dermatologist, Stuart H. Kaplan, MD.

http://www.skindoc.net/#

First Dr. Kaplan explained that most skin damage is a result of too many years exposed to the sun. I don’t know about you, but when I was 17 years old, I approached tanning like it was my most important beauty recipe. Roast top half for 45 minutes then baste in baby oil and turn to the backside for 45. Add a crazy foil dome to speed up cooking process. The result of this youthful tanning dedication now appears as dark patches of brown spots (or commonly referred to as age spots) primarily on our arms, neck, shoulders and hands. Sun overexposure combined with decreasing estrogen levels (which actually starts in our mid-twenties), makes our skin thinner and causes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and veins to be pronounced. Great! That’s just great.

But have no fear Dr. K says your hands can be saved. He told me that there are a several solutions. Phew. First a few shots of Radiesse, a wrinkle filler traditionally used on your face which works to replace the lost collagen/fat in your hands produces fresh collagen. Radiesse injections will plump your hands up stat, adding the right amount of youthful volume. With that handled, Kaplan turns to the dark spot issue that is best-addressed using laser therapy. There are two basic types of lasers-ablative and nonablative. Ablative lasers actually vaporize the top layers of damaged skin. Nonablative lasers work deeper in the skin without removing or otherwise damaging the top layers. The main differences between the types of lasers have to do with wavelength. The only thing you need to know is that different laser wavelengths (colors of light) target different skin components and depths. Which laser treatment is best for your skin will be determined in a consultation with your physician. The fact is a combination of several different lasers is often the most effective way to address all of the problems that you may have.

As a general rule the best laser treatment for lines and wrinkles is a combination of skin resurfacing and skin-tightening procedures by a more aggressive ablative laser, such as a CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser or Erbium YAG. The CO2 laser can sometimes leave the skin lighter, so the Erbium Yag, combined with the fractionated laser (Sciton’s Profractional, or the Fraxel) has become the most popular laser for deep ablative treatment. The most-commonly used lasers for the treatments of age spots are pulsed dye, ND;Yag and the IPL lasers (such as the Sciton’s Broad Band Light or BBL laser). IPL and BBL lasers are less aggressive treatments that have little or no down time. Light-based treatments like LED photofacials are also options. Glycolic acid peels, cryotherapy and dermabrasion can also assist in erasing the ravages of time.

http://www.dermadoctor.com/article_Skin-Bleaching_79.html

If you are not a fan of physician visits and fear the potential laser pain you can pick up a bleaching agent called hydroquinone, available at drugstores in concentrations of 2% to 4%. Kaplan suggests trying the hydroquinone along with a retinoid, like Retina A or Renova, which will exfoliate the skin and prepare it for the hydroquinone treatment. This may take a while so be patient. Some dermatologists, such as Dr. Kaplan, also have a compound prescription bleaching cream with hydroquinone 10%, along with Retinoic Acid and Hydrocortisone. This is usually the most effective topical cream for reducing melasma, which is the pigmentation on the upper lip and face, associated with pregnancy and birth control use. You might also ask about Obagi products that have similar ingredients and have worked quite well for me. Read

If you don’t want the hassle of going to the pharmacy nor have the funds for lasers, these can run upwards of $1500, there are some old school home remedies you can concoct on your own. A slice of red onion, fresh garlic juice, castor oil or aloe vera juice on a cotton ball applied to age spots twice daily for six to eight weeks might be your magic cure. Try each home remedy on different spots and see which one works best for you. Again be patient, it took 40+ years and tons of sunning to earn those brownie spots so it’s going to take a little time to erase them.