People Seeking Youthful Hands

March 8, 2006
According to Dr. Robert Weiss of John Hopkins University in Baltimore, there is a new trend emerging in the world of cosmetic surgery. More people are now seeking hand treatments to achieve a look that is consistent with other cosmetic enhancements they have received.

“People do focus initially on their face and then we’re able to do a lot with reversing sun damage and photo aging—wrinkling, textural roughness, blood vessels,” comments Dr. Weiss. Then, he add, “They look down at their hands and go, ‘Wow! These look 10 to 20 years older than my face now!’”

It is not a surprise that the types of cosmetic procedures people are undergoing is growing more diverse with the influx in people desiring surgical and non-surgical procedures. In 2004, the number of people receiving cosmetic enhancement rose 44 percent to almost 12 million.

Dr. Weiss claims that over the past year he has performed about a dozen hand treatments to remove ropy veins, however, he expects that number to grow to be well in the hundreds.

“People want to look good. They want to project a young image,” Weiss comments.

The procedure to remedy the signs of aging hands is a non-invasive procedure that utilizes a foam called sodium tetradecyl sulfate. The foam is injected into the vein where it dissolves cells on the inside of the vein. “Once those cells are gone, the inside of the vein becomes sticky. One side adheres to the other and then flattens out,” explains the doctor. The walls of the vein will then gradually be absorbed over one to two months.

According to Dr. Weiss, the foam used for this procedure is actually a mild detergent that is commonly used as an emulsifier in bakeries.

This procedure to restore a youthful appearance to your hands generally costs between $250 and $450 per session.

There are other options for this procedure that are notably more invasive than the foam injection ropy vein removal. Some doctors are now offering procedures to remove the vein by making a small incision and actually pulling the vein from the hand under local anesthesia.

Another option available laser removal, in which a laser fiver is inserted into the vein to heat it from the inside. Both of these options however, are significantly more costly and may pose greater risks than the foam injections.

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