What gives away your age?

We all know that wrinkles and sagging skin on the face are dead giveaways of our true age. But there are two other body parts that indicate your age that you may not even aware of.

1) Your neck and décolletage. Most women focus on the face when applying skin care products, sunscreen, and makeup. But the neck and décolletage receive as much sun, if not more. Fine lines and brown spots in this area are a dead giveaway of age. There are several treatment options for this area:

• Skin care products: The same skin lightening creams (e.g. Lytera) that work on the face work on the chest and neck as well.
• Resurfacing: Although a traditional laser peel is too harsh for the delicate skin in this area, more mild chemical peels and Profractional laser treatments can both be done on the neck and chest. These options will improve both texture and pigmentation.
• Fotofacial or BBL: The primary goal of a fotofacial treatment is to even out the pigmentation, and it is very effective over the décolletage.



• Skin tightening treatments: Marketed under many different brands (Venus, Skintyte, Ulthera, Thermage), these treatments heat the skin, which stimulates collagen remodeling and tightens skin gradually over a 4-6 month period. This is a great option when skin on the neck develops a crepey texture.

2) Your hands. Hands are subject to the same pigmentation issues as the rest of the body. And although skin on the hands does not develop wrinkles in the same way, the soft tissue does thin out (atrophy) over time, making the hands appear bony or gaunt.

• Skin lightening creams and fotofacials are both great options for achieving more even pigmentation out on the hands.
• There are two options to treat volume loss in the hands. Radiesse^® has been used to add volume to the face for many years, and was recently approved by the FDA to add volume in the hands. Radiesse^® is composed of hydroxylapatite, a mineral found in bone. It is injected under the skin to add volume, and lasts about 9-12 months. The other option for adding volume to the hands is fat grafting. This procedure takes fat from the abdomen or thighs, and injects it under the skin. Unlike Radiesse^®, fat-grafting is permanent.

What body area shows your age the most? I’d love to hear from you!