But her hands were a different story. Patricia’s paws bore age and sun spots and were bony with bluish veins showing through paper thin skin. It was a dead-bang giveaway those hands were attached to a person much older than 45.

Thanks to all we know about diet, exercise and modern medicine, a 60-something woman in 2005 – provided she takes care of herself – can more closely resemble a 45-year-old. Throw in a little Botox or Restylane and medical science can push the apparent age back even farther. Just take a gander at Joan Collins, Priscilla Presley, Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch, all of whom are grandmothers.

Often, among women like Patricia who have had surgical rejuvenations, bony hands that more resemble small gardening tools, are the only markers of advancing years.

“Many women in their 40s, 50s and 60s come in and ask ‘Is there anything you can do about these old looking hands?’” says Dennis Hurwitz, M.D., a board certified plastic surgeon in Pittsburg.

The solution – which Patricia tried and liked – is found in something women are usually anxious to get rid of anyhow – their own body fat. Because there is no shortage of that filler material, more women are opting for hand makeovers, using their own fat.

Explains Dr. Hurwitz: “One’s own body fat is an ideal filler substance. The cells are very small and fragile and kept alive by a delicate network of blood vessels. After about age 50, the hands normally begin to look aged, with the vessels and veins becoming more visible through the skin.”

To complete that dreaded garden rake look on the hand, hollowing, lines, wrinkles and general loss of tissue and fat naturally happens with age. Unfortunately, experts say, little can be done to prevent aging hands because women who have them are usually genetically predisposed to it.

But how can one’s own fat contribute to a hand makeover?

The procedure in cosmetic and plastic surgery is known as an “autologous fat transplantation” or “microlipoinjection.” The surgeon starts with a machine that extracts the patient’s own fat, along with a small amount of blood, using a small hollow tube known as a cannula. The fat is taken from a woman’s stomach, thighs, buttocks or elsewhere and reinjected back into the hands after the blood, liquid and fat cells have been separated.

And that’s no small trick. Considering all the woe that human fat causes, it is actually a very delicate substance, at least when a surgeon works with it. For instance, fat cells will die if the suction on the cannula is too high while extracting fat; if the centrifuge that separates fat cells from the other fluids spins too fast or if the needle reinjecting the fat back into the hand is too narrow. Moreover, the fat cells can’t be exposed to ordinary air. When the cells are reinjected back into the hand, a pea-sized drop of fat cells tends to also die. But very small amounts, in a series of smaller injections, placed at differently levels will reattach nicely to muscle. No bandages or surgical dressing are needed after the procedure, although there may be some swelling, bruising or mild redness in both the donor and recipient sites. Patients are asked to stay out of the sun and can apply surgical makeup with sun block.

Results vary. Some patients say their hands still look younger up to a year later although some volume will dissipate after six months because the body absorbs some fat. So additional injections are usually necessary to maintain the fresh appearance.

The upside: unlike many other procedures that require a long recovery time, a hand makeover with fat grafting delivers instant results with almost zero down time. For instance, Pat wore some protective pads on her hands for several days and, after two weeks, again had soft, glowing hands that her husband loves to hold.

“Hands go from bony to buff in one hour,” says Dr. Hurwitz.

If age spots, sun damage or other discoloration is present, Dr. Hurwitz treats it with pulsed light therapy.

Then, only your birth certificate and driver’s license can give away your true age.

Dr. Hurwitz website: http://www.hurwitzcenter.com

Dr. Dennis Hurwitz - Phone: 412-802-6100

Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery

3109 Forbes Ave, Suite 500

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

© 2005 HealthNewsDigest.com