Survey: Most Women Think Their Hands Make Them Look Old

Just shy of 80 percent of women ages 40 and older wish they could change the way their hands look, according to Nestlé Skin Health’s 'Face Your Hands' survey.

Additionally, 60 percent reported they have actually taken steps to hide their hands because they are self-conscious about the way their hands look, and nearly 2 in 3 (63 percent) women are interested in having a non-surgical cosmetic procedure or treatment to improve the appearance of their hands, the survey showed.

Restylane Lyft is the first and only hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler FDA-approved for both helping to reverse the signs of volume loss in aging hands, as well smoothing facial wrinkles and folds. Merz’s Radiesse, which is comprised of Calcium Hydroxylapatite microspheres, is also FDA-approved for adding volume to the back of the hands.

The nationally representative survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. women, ages 35+ between February 26 and March 5, 2018 using an e-mail invitation and an online survey. The data points in this release represent data collected among women ages 40+. "Over time, the skin on the hands loses volume, which can result in a less youthful appearance," says Joel L. Cohen, MD, a  Lone Tree, CO-based dermatologist and clinical trial investigator for Restylane Lyft for the hands, in a news release."I find that while many women spend time perfecting their facial beauty routine, they tend to forget about their hands. I am excited that there is now a hyaluronic acid-based treatment available to treat and help restore volume to the back of the hands, which is a problem area for many of my patients."

While the survey found that women want to change the appearance of their hands, most (54 percent) believed there was nothing that could be done to prevent signs of aging on their hands.

 Among the other survey findings:

• The majority (85 percent) have noticed signs of aging on their hands as they've grown older.
• Nearly 2 in 3 (65 percent) women think their hands make them look older than their age.
• Nearly 3 in 5 (56 percent) women have mistakenly thought someone was older than they were because of the way their hands looked.
• Half (50 percent) of women polled are likely to use a filter or photo editor to improve the look of their hands before posting a picture of their hands on social media.

"This survey reflects what I hear from many of my patients who feel that their aging hands do not match their youthful faces," adds Beverly Hills, CA dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD. "Most women don't realize that the appearance of prominent wrinkles, bones, bulging veins and visible tendons are signs of volume loss in the hands and contribute to an aged look. The recent FDA approval of Restylane Lyft for the hands expands its use beyond the face to help provide an overall youthful look for my patients."