Bony hands

Why do the backs of the hands look ‘bony’ or ‘veiny’ with age?

As our skin ages, it becomes thinner, loses volume and becomes more transparent.

Our hands may appear ‘bony’ because the tendons become more prominent and with the loss of skin opacity the veins are more visible.

A series of three treatments in the back of the hand, one month apart help make the hands look plumper and younger.

Hyaluronic acid depletion is the principal reason why the skin thins. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in all human skin. When we are young, we have very high levels of hyaluronic acid in our skin, which makes the skin feel thick and soft. As we age the levels of hyaluronic acid in the skin decrease, resulting in much thinner skin.

A number of environmental factors can actively speed up the loss of hyaluronic acid from our skin causing them to look bony and veiny. One of these factors is ultraviolet light which destroys hyaluronic acid, so sun worshippers often find that their skin is thinner and older looking in later life. The backs of the hands are particularly affected as these are more exposed to sunlight.