Long-term effectiveness and safety of small gel particle hyaluronic acid for hand rejuvenation.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Fillers to reverse the effects of fat atrophy can help restore the hands' youthful appearance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of small gel particle hyaluronic acid (SGP-HA) for hand rejuvenation through 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective open-label study recruited adults with moderate to severe vascular, bony, and tendon prominence. After a topical anesthetic was applied, SGP-HA (maximum dose of 4.0 mL) was injected into the dorsum using a threading technique and distributed by massage. RESULTS: There were 16 patients with a mean ± SD age of 60.1 ± 5.3. Two weeks after treatment, vascular, tendon, and bony prominence and skin turgor were improved by 60.9%, 65.2%, 73.7%, and 26.3%, respectively. Substantial or complete global aesthetic improvement was rated in 75% of patients by investigators and in 56% by self-report; 81% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied. Five needed a touch-up (maximum 1.0 mL/hand). Improvements were largely maintained at 6 months, with 85% patient satisfaction, and assessments approached pretreatment levels at 1 year, with 50% patient satisfaction. One patient reported itching on one hand, which was judged to be unrelated to treatment. CONCLUSION: SGP-HA produced lasting improvements in aging hands and was safe and well tolerated.