title: 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.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SGP-HA produced lasting improvements in aging hands and was safe and well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Research Institute, LLC, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, USA. dermbrandt@aol.com
authors.forename: Fredric S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cazzaniga
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Strangman
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Axford-Gatley
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012060:Rejuvenation; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid