Turn back the hands of time

As they say, the hands don’t lie. I beg to differ. I’m 30 (cough, something) and since my early 20s I’ve been in possession of a pair of prematurely aged paws. Veiny, sun-spotted and covered in loose skin, when I look at my mitts I feel more Judi Dench than Jessica Alba, and not in a good way.

While I’ve always believed in ageing gracefully, (what’s wrong with a few laughter lines, for goodness sake?) my hand hang-up has taken me on a roller coaster ride of rejuvenating creams, beauty balms, anti-ageing masks and so-called ‘miracle’ manicures, none of which stood a chance against my ravaged claws.

I had resigned myself to a life of glove-wearing, handshake-dodging misery, when I got news of a new wonder treatment, dubbed the ‘hand lift’. Word is Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker are just two celebs who have undergone the procedure and as it gains momentum, Tinseltown’s finest are said to be queuing up to try it.

Here in Dubai, hand rejuvenation is available at Obagi Medispa at The Dubai Mall. Admittedly, I was a bit sceptical. While I’ve spent my weight in gold on department store miracle potions, the world of non-surgical treatments is new to me and I was wary of the big shiny machines and unfamiliar instruments. Fortunately my doubts were laid to rest as the dermatologist, Dr Muhsen, talked me through the painless procedure.

The first part was the Blue Peel Radiance, which is designed to reduce sun spots and pigmentation. As with a facial peel, a solution was applied for around 15 minutes and, over the course of the next week, light peeling revealed younger, softer skin.

We’ve all seen that SATC episode where Samantha is left red faced by a super-strength skin peel. It’s enough to put you off for life. But the mildness of the Blue Peel Radiance means you won’t be left with raw paws. That said, it’s effective and after shedding skin I was impressed by the results.

The next phase, which took place a few days later, was for Restylane fillers to be injected into my hands. This procedure plumps the skin, helping to disguise bulging veins. Dr Muhsen injected the filler into various points, taking care to avoid veins (so that I wouldn’t bruise). It was all over in 20 minutes and, other than a few slight pricks, I didn’t feel a thing.

Forty minutes later my hands looked as though they had been re-born. The veins had disappeared, a youthful glow had returned and as the peel had taken full effect, the brown spots were barely noticeable. 

I was warned I might experience mild swelling, but I wasn’t prepared for my hands to blow up like cushions. I also found it difficult to clench my fists, which I wanted to do every time my husband referred to me as Balboa hams. Fortunately, the swelling (which is normal) subsided in 48 hours and I’m now reaping the rewards. Who says you can’t turn back the hands of time?