I place my hands flat on the examination table for evaluation. I’m currently in the office of the president of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine (BCAM) in London. Like many individuals, my hands are constantly in use; I spend hours typing, engage in bouldering which has resulted in various calluses, and partake in household tasks such as cooking and cleaning. I’ve never truly regarded my hands as objects of interest—they have always seemed secondary, merely tools for accomplishing tasks. However, as Dr. Sophie Shotter inspects them, manipulating the skin with her fingers, I start to notice subtle textures, like the surface of crepe paper adorned with faint sparkles.
Dr. Shotter comments, “Your facial skin appears clear and smooth. However, your hands show signs of laxity.” She notes the absence of pigmentation and sunspots but points out the visibility of veins and tendons, indicating a reduction in volume. She warns that over time, this can lead to what many refer to as “old lady hands,” characterized by significant volume loss and fragile skin.
The contrast between a person’s perceived “face age” and “hand age” has intrigued many for years. For over a decade, tabloids have criticized female celebrities for their hands. Not much has changed in the depiction of celebrities like Joan Collins, Madonna, and Sarah Jessica Parker, whose hands are often compared to their faces. A recent headline in the Daily Mail declared that “hands don’t lie,” suggesting they reveal our true age, leading to accusations against figures like Kris Jenner for concealing their hands to avoid such comparisons.
This notion that our hands can betray our age, regardless of the care we give to our faces, is fueling a trend towards more focused hand care. Vogue highlighted two years ago that hand creams are becoming “the new status symbol.” These products increasingly contain high-end ingredients similar to those found in facial skincare, such as retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, collagen, and PDRN, which is derived from salmon sperm and has gained popularity in Korean beauty. The packaging has also become more appealing, with designs resembling pebbles or pods, making them desirable accessories. According to Euromonitor, global premium handcare sales surged to $724 million (£544 million) in 2022, reflecting a 23.5% increase from $586 million in 2019.
Additionally, the market is seeing innovations like LED hand masks, microcurrent devices, and gel gloves. At the more extreme end, there are procedures for laser removal of pigmentation and surgical fat transfer, where tissue from another body part is injected into the hands. Although this approach is pricey and carries risks such as infection or unsatisfactory aesthetic results, a cosmetic surgeon in the U.S. recently shared that fat transfer for hands has become a frequent addition for facelift patients, with significant costs involved.
Georgia Stafford, a beauty analyst at Mintel, predicts continued growth in handcare spending, noting that the UK handcare market is expected to reach £174 million by 2025. She remarks, “When you consider that hands are one of the most visible parts of our bodies, it’s clear they’re receiving more attention from consumers.” Dr. Dev Patel, another aesthetic doctor in the UK, concurs, emphasizing that people are increasingly aware of how their hands impact perceptions of age.
There are biological factors at play as well. The skin on our hands has fewer oil glands compared to facial skin, making it more susceptible to dryness, especially with frequent washing. Additionally, hand skin is thinner to allow for flexibility and contains less collagen, the protein responsible for providing structural support.
When discussing anti-aging treatments, Dr. Patel emphasizes the importance of “harmony.” He explains that since we have four areas to consider—face, neck, chest, and hands—it’s essential to treat them cohesively. Treating just one area without addressing the others can lead to a disjointed appearance, which feels inauthentic. He likens this to maintaining a car, stating that one would not clean only the front half.
Stafford identifies age prevention as a significant trend in the UK facial skincare market, particularly among women aged 25 to 44. She believes that consumers have become educated about skincare ingredients and are eager to extend this knowledge to products for areas below the neck.
While neither Dr. Patel nor Dr. Shotter will disclose my hand age in relation to my face age, Dr. Shotter does suggest an injectable moisturizer and half a syringe of a collagen filler to promote skin tightening and subtle volume, which could enhance the harmony between my hands and face. She also advises potential patients to utilize BCAM’s Vet It Before You Get It questionnaire to ensure safety when considering any procedures.
The foundations for this burgeoning market may have been established during the pandemic, when hand sanitizers became essential, often in limited supply. This led to heightened awareness of hand hygiene as we washed them diligently and applied sanitizers frequently, resulting in increased dryness.
Before the pandemic struck, Amy Welsman, who founded the handcare brand Paume, became a new parent and found herself using hand sanitizer many times a day. This experience inspired her to envision a “luxurious hand sanitizer” that was not only pleasant to use but also nourishing for the skin, formulated with plant-based ingredients that promote health and well-being.
