Boom in surgery to help get rid of ‘Madonna mitts’
YOU can survive on spinach, do hundreds of press ups at the gym and go to bed early every night.
But while you might be glowing with youthful vitality, there’s one part of your body that will defy all your efforts to keep the years at bay.
A woman’s hands always give away her age. That’s why Madonna has taken to wearing fingerless gloves when she appears on stage.
And it’s why plastic surgeons report a rise in the number of women having cosmetic treatment to banish what some are calling ‘Madonna mitts’.
Transform Cosmetic Surgery says there has been an 18 per cent increase in inquiries in the past month for ‘hand rejuvenation’.
‘Our hands are exposed to the sun more frequently than other
‘They look so thin
and veiny’
parts of the body and a failure to apply sun cream to hands as regularly as we do the face makes them susceptible to sunspots and accelerated ageing,’ said a Transform spokesman.
‘With the hot weather this summer we have experienced a marked increase in inquiries from women complaining of sunspots on their hands, along with the skin becoming thin and crepey.
‘Hand rejuvenation is becoming increasingly popular, with dermal fillers volumising and smoothing the skin, encouraging the production of collagen to provide a youthful look.
‘Laser resurfacing of the hands is also on the rise thanks to its ability to improve sun-damaged skin and reduce the appearance of sunspots.’ Mother-of-one Sandy Benson, 54, paid £1,000 to have fillers injected into her hands. She said: ‘I have abused my hands. I didn’t moisturise them regularly or put sun cream on and I have very fair skin.
‘They looked so thin and veiny. They made me feel really old.’
Miss Benson, of Bradford, added: ‘’Madonna is a great example of a woman who is trying to take care of herself in her 50s – just like me. I can completely sympathise that her hands are the bit that gives it all away. For me it got to the point where I would wear long sleeves and be pulling the cuffs down over my wrists because I don’t like them.
‘I would often fold my wrists in as well so people couldn’t see my hands.’
As time passes, skin on the hands becomes thinner, which causes veins to become more prominent and liver spots to appear. Miss Ben- son, who had the procedure carried out by the Transform Clinic, says her confidence has been greatly improved as a result.
She added: ‘The fillers last a year and I will definitely go back to have it done again.’
The Private Clinic on Harley Street also offers the treatment but its procedure takes fat from one part of the patient’s body and injects it into the hands. It is done while the patient is awake and is designed to give long term rejuvenation benefits to the hands.
A recent survey found that one in eight women are more concerned about the condition of their hands than their face.
The survey, for No7, found that liver spots top the list of worries about ageing hands, with many women attempting to hide the dark marks with make-up.