Posted on Tue, Sep. 16, 2008

Q. What do you think of hand surgery by a plastic surgeon to make old-looking hands look young again? As we age, and stay thin, the bones in the back of the hands become more prominent and age spots show.

I have a young face for my age (66), but I was told by a plastic surgeon that my hands gave me away. He said he could make them look young again with fading creams and an exfoliating cream to rid the hands of the brown spots.

Then he would take fat out of my thighs (I have very slim thighs) and inject the fat into the back of my hands to make them smoother looking.

A. The hands are no exception to the aging process and should be addressed.

Your plastic surgeon has given you a viable and realistic approach. As people age, the skin thins and makes the hands look older. Fat injections to the back of the hands are a good way to rejuvenate the hands.

If you do not have enough fat from your ''slim thighs,'' there is always Restylane (not FDA approved) for filling in your hands. The problem is that Restylane is not a permanent filler and must be re-injected every six to nine months.

Hand rejuvenation should be done by a physician who has experience with fat injections, as the results may be lumpy with someone who lacks experience.

Another problem that can happen is an infection in the hand, which can be devastating.