Facial fat injections
back of hand
Causes the back of the hand to lose elasticity with age.
As we age, the aging process appears in many areas of the body. Facial wrinkles are often the most noticeable, but wrinkles and lack of firmness on the backs of the hands and fingers are also surprisingly noticeable.
The aging process includes the loss of firmness and thinness, the appearance of wrinkles, and the visibility of blood vessels and tendons. The causes of this aging loss of firmness in the back of the hands are discussed below.
Fat loss
Fat loss is one of the most common causes of loss of elasticity on the back of the hands as we age. The space between the epidermis and the veins is filled with subcutaneous fat. Under normal circumstances, veins are less visible. However, due to weight loss with aging and the decrease in female hormones, subcutaneous fat decreases. As subcutaneous fat decreases, volume is lost and wrinkles and veins become more prominent. This is a common cause in women in their 40s and beyond who are thin and whose female hormones are declining.
Aging skin
Aging skin is the most common cause of loss of firmness on the back of the hands. The amount of collagen and elastin necessary to maintain skin firmness decreases with age. This weakens the skin cells’ ability to regenerate, and the epidermis becomes thinner. This is what causes wrinkles, sagging, and other signs of aging.
Particularly in women, the secretion of female hormones that stimulate collagen production decreases rapidly after the age of 40s, and the skin tends to sag more easily. And skin aging is also likely to progress due to a decline in metabolism. Therefore, women are more likely to feel aging on the back of their hands after their 40s.
Dilation of blood vessels
Another possible cause of the loss of elasticity on the back of the hands with aging is the dilation of blood vessels due to aging. The “vessel walls” around blood vessels become less elastic and more dilated with age. Both arteries and veins dilate, but veins dilate more easily because of their thinner vessel walls. When these dilated veins become thicker and float, the blood vessels and muscles become more prominent.
Aging of blood vessels is easily accelerated by lifestyle habits.
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
- Drinking habits
- Diet high in cholesterol and sugar
Fat injections with condensed rich fat
We use condensed rich fat for fat injections in the back of the hand. This method provides a volume-replenishing effect. Condense rich fat is a procedure in which fat from the thighs, arms, abdomen, and other areas of the body is injected after being purified and concentrated in a centrifuge. It has a high fixation rate and low risk of calcification and fat necrosis.
Downtime is light, with little internal bleeding or swelling. Swelling may be felt for a few days, but will gradually subside. The retention rate of injected fat is approximately 50-70%, depending on the individual. The fat is semi-permanently retained, so once the procedure is performed, the effect will last.
Pain
The procedure is virtually painless. You may experience muscle aches and pains for a few days to a week after the procedure, but the pain can be controlled with oral medication.
Durability of effects
Condense Rich Fat has a high retention rate because it is injected by concentrating your own fat. Therefore, semi-permanent effects can be expected. Although there are individual differences, the retention rate of injected fat is approximately 50-70%.
Downtime
The procedure uses an injection needle with a thin, rounded tip, so the fat can be injected without damaging the tissue. Therefore, there is little downtime such as internal bleeding or swelling. The only downtime is a sensation of swollen hands that lasts for a few days.
The area where fat is harvested will have heavy muscle soreness that lasts for about a week. Please be assured that this can be controlled with pain medication. Internal bleeding and swelling will settle down in about two weeks.
Differences between fat injections and other procedures on the back of the hand
There are two methods of treatment to restore elasticity to the back of the hand: one is to increase the volume of the hand and the other is to approach the blood vessels. The table below summarizes the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of these two methods.
| Approach points | Increase volume on the back of the hand | Direct approach to blood vessels | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procedure Name | Fat Injection | Hyaluronic Acid Injection | Endovascular Laser | Extracorporeal Laser | Sclerotherapy |
| Procedure | Fat is harvested from your own body, purified and concentrated in a centrifuge, and injected | Inject hyaluronic acid under the skin | A thin needle is inserted and a special laser is applied from the inside to constrict the blood vessels | Laser is applied over the skin to constrict the blood vessels in the hand. | Injecting a sclerosing agent into the blood vessels of the hand to block the vessels |
| Advantages |
・Natural finish ・Semi-permanent effect ・Effective for spots and dullness |
・Easy to undergo ・Immediate effect |
Effective for linear vessels | Low burden on the body | Effective for large vessels |
| Disadvantages | Requires harvesting fat from the body |
・Short duration ・May become uneven ・Pale and transparent |
・Postoperatively, with swelling and internal bleeding ・Possible residual neuropathy |
・hick vessels are not indicated ・Less effective |
・Temporary lumps may form ・Other blood vessels will become more prominent ・The hand must be compressed with a bandage after the surgery |
Who is recommended to have fat injections on the back of the hand
Fat injections on the back of the hand are recommended to those who meet the following conditions.
- Want to get rid of excess fat
- Are not comfortable with artificial injectables
- Want a procedure with a good retention rate
- Are concerned about fine lines in the skin on the back of the hand
- Are concerned about blood vessels on the back of the hand
- Want to eliminate the lumpiness of the back of the hand
- Want younger looking hands
Benefits and Effects of Fat Injection on the Back of the Hand
The following four benefits and effects of fat injection on the back of the hand are listed below.
- Semi-permanent effects
- Can utilize fat from the area to be removed
- High safety
- Less downtime
Semi-permanent effects
Condensed rich fat is fat that has been harvested from the body and impurity removed in a centrifuge. Only the smallest of these fat and fatty liver cells are extracted, making it rich in stem cells. As a result, the fat retention rate is as high as 50-70%, and semi-permanent results can be expected.
While the retention rate of conventional fat injections is about 40%, Condense Rich Fat has achieved a retention rate far higher than that of conventional fat injections. The retention rate is quite high, ranging from 50-70% or more. Compared to conventional fat injections, which have a retention rate of less than half, a semi-permanent effect can be expected.
You can utilize fat from the area you want to remove.
Condense Rich Fat allows you to utilize fat that your own body has harvested. If you are concerned about fat in your abdomen, buttocks, or thighs, you have the advantage of being able to inject fat from these areas into the back of your hands.
Because it utilizes your own fat, there is less risk of allergy. Because autologous tissue is used rather than artificial fat, the transplanted fat will settle naturally and stable results can be expected.
Highly safe
Because fat harvested from the body can be purified and concentrated in a centrifuge for injection, lumps and fat necrosis are unlikely to occur. And there is no risk of rejection as with artificial products. It is highly safe because it avoids the risks that have been feared with conventional fat injections. It is smooth like a gel, and the result is natural and beautiful.
Less downtime.
We use a needle with a very fine and malleable tip during the procedure. If the needle is sharp and pointed, it can damage capillaries and cause internal bleeding during injection. With a rounded tip, fat can be injected without damaging the tissue, resulting in very little downtime.
Risks and side effects of fat injections on the back of the hand
- Redness, swelling
-
Redness and swelling may occur after surgery. Depending on skin conditions and individual differences, they may appear during or immediately after the procedure, or they may appear the next day or later. It is difficult to predict whether or not symptoms will appear. However, the symptoms are temporary and heal gradually over a period of a few days to two weeks. It can be covered with makeup or a mask, so there is no major impact on daily life.
- Unevenness
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After fat injection, an uneven feeling may occur. Since fat retention varies from person to person, when injecting fat to increase the volume of the back of the hand, it is common to inject a little more in anticipation of the amount that will not settle. However, if the proper depth and amount is not followed, the skin surface will become uneven. To avoid this situation, it is important to check the skin condition and inject the appropriate load and volume.
- Pain
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After the surgery, there is a possibility of muscle aches and bruising at the site where the fat was harvested. Pain usually lasts 1-2 weeks after surgery. If the pain persists longer, pressure immobilization should be performed according to the doctor’s instructions.
- Other
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- Fat necrosis, calcification, and lumps
- May require multiple fat injections
- Blockage of blood vessels
Fat cells that do not settle are absorbed in most cases, but in rare cases they may remain as lumps. Injecting more in one area increases this risk.
In addition, fat injections give a firmness to the area, but some people are not satisfied with the results after just one injections. Therefore, there are cases in which patients receive fat injections two, three, or more times.
And, although it is extremely rare, there are cases where injected fat may stray into blood vessels.
Flow of fat injections for the back of the hand at our clinic
STEP1Counseling
A doctor with extensive experience in fat injection procedures will conduct a counseling session. The doctor will diagnose the condition of your hands and carefully listen to your wishes regarding what you want to improve, where you would like to have fat injected, and what you would like to look like after the surgery.
The doctor will then explain in detail about the surgical procedure, side effects, and post-operative course of treatment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to consult with us.
STEP2Preparation before the procedure
The doctor in charge of the surgery will design the procedure based on what he/she has heard during the counseling. Once we have confirmed and agreed on the design together, we will begin preparing for the surgery.
Before the surgery, local anesthesia will be administered, and if desired, laughing anesthesia will be administered. Laughing anesthesia is an inhalation anesthesia, not an injection. You will not lose consciousness, but will feel slightly intoxicated. It enhances sedation and analgesia and reduces the pain of local anesthesia and intraoperative anxiety.
Local anesthesia is administered by injection and uses an ultrafine needle, so there is very little pain. Intravenous anesthesia is also available for those who wish to use it.
STEP3Procedure
Once the local anesthesia has taken effect and the pain is gone, the surgery will begin. The surgery takes about one hour. Fat is harvested, purified and concentrated, and injected to complete the procedure. During the surgery, you can close your eyes and relax while undergoing the procedure. Since local anesthesia is in effect, there is no pain during the surgery.
STEP4Postoperative check
After the surgery, your doctor will check you and if there are no problems, you will go home. On the day of the surgery, please refrain from any activities that may increase the swelling, such as strenuous exercise or bathing.
STEP5Aftercare
There is no need to visit the hospital after the procedure, but if you have any concerns or worries, such as swelling or scarring after the surgery, please feel free to contact us. You can also call or e-mail us.