Hand rejuvenation has now become an essential step in a comprehensive aesthetic approach. Long neglected, this area of the body often shows signs of aging more prominently than the face, sometimes creating a noticeable contrast. Pigment spots, volume loss, wrinkled or lax skin—these are all signs that reveal the passing years.
Effective treatments exist to correct these manifestations : hyaluronic acid injections, biostimulating peels, pigment-specific lasers, mesotherapy, PRX-T33. These scientifically validated techniques provide visible and appreciated results. But one question remains central: are these results long-lasting?
In other words, to what extent can a prolonged effect be expected after treatment? Is the correction temporary or permanent? Is maintenance required? And based on which factors?
First, it is important to clarify the very meaning of the term “durability.” The result of any treatment cannot be permanent, as skin aging—both intrinsic and extrinsic—continues over time. However, some treatments provide a long-lasting improvement, meaning it persists for several months or even years, and its benefits can be stabilized or extended through appropriate maintenance.
The durability of a hand treatment depends on three main factors: the technique used, the initial quality of the treated skin, and the patient’s lifestyle after the procedure. It is therefore essential to approach this question dynamically. A medical procedure can provide an immediate satisfactory result, but only regular medical and cosmetic follow-up can sustain this initial benefit.
Hyaluronic acid injection into the back of the hands is one of the most common treatments to correct a skeletal or hollowed appearance caused by the loss of subcutaneous tissue. By restoring lost volume and deeply rehydrating the skin, this procedure provides an immediate and striking effect.
The durability of the injection primarily depends on the type of product used. Denser, highly cross-linked hyaluronic acids can remain in place for 9 to 18 months. However, their breakdown begins well before the product completely disappears. It is estimated that part of the injected volume is absorbed by the tenth month, which highlights the benefit of an annual maintenance session.
It is important to emphasize that the effect of an injection is not limited to temporary filling. By promoting better tissue hydration and mechanically stimulating fibroblasts, hyaluronic acid contributes to improving the overall quality of the dermis, beyond its volumizing action.
The treatment is therefore both corrective and, to some extent, preventive. With each session, the skin responds positively, making the results more durable over the years, particularly when a regular protocol is maintained.
Treatment of solar lentigines with pigment-specific lasers—particularly Q-switched, Alexandrite, or picosecond lasers—is often presented as an effective, rapid, and long-lasting solution. Indeed, the laser targets the melanin in the brown spots, fragments it, and then it is naturally eliminated by the body’s macrophages. Once the melanin is destroyed, the treated spot does not return.
In practice, the disappearance of a lentigo after one to two sessions is generally permanent if the patient avoids further sun exposure. However, new pigmented lesions frequently appear if sun protection is not used.
Among the most interesting innovations in hand rejuvenation, so-called biostimulating techniques—such as the PRX-T33 peel—offer less spectacular short-term results but are extremely long-lasting in the medium and long term.
These treatments do not work by filling or erasing an imperfection, but by reactivating the biological activity of dermal cells. PRX-T33, for example, stimulates fibroblasts without causing peeling, leading to improved dermal density, elasticity, and radiance without breaking the skin barrier.
This type of care is often based on a protocol of several closely spaced sessions (generally 3 to 5), followed by quarterly maintenance. The effect is gradual but durable, as it relies on intrinsic tissue regeneration rather than a temporary modification.
In this sense, biostimulation, although subtler in the short term, strengthens the skin’s reserves for several years.
Some treatments play more of a supportive and maintenance role than a transformative one. Mesotherapy, superficial peels, and LED photobiomodulation do not radically change the appearance of the hands, but they consolidate the effects of more targeted medical procedures.
They act on microcirculation, hydration, cellular repair, and radiance. Their durability is inherently more limited, but their cumulative effect helps stabilize the benefits achieved elsewhere. These are considered physiological maintenance treatments, which fit perfectly into a comprehensive aesthetic protocol.
In practice, a maintenance session every three months can be sufficient to preserve skin quality over the long term, while preventing the onset of new alterations.
No aesthetic treatment is permanent, as the aging process continues. However, with regular maintenance, results can not only be prolonged but also optimized over time. It is common to observe, in patients who follow their protocol correctly, a consistent improvement in skin quality over the years.
A healthy lifestyle also contributes to the durability of treatments: daily sun protection, local and systemic hydration, smoking cessation, a diet rich in antioxidants, and reduced oxidative stress.
These factors directly influence the rate of skin aging and, consequently, the duration of the results achieved.
The patient’s age and skin quality play an important role in how the skin responds to treatment and in the duration of results. For younger skin, between 30 and 45 years, dermal density is better, collagen is more abundant, circulation is active, and regenerative capacity is faster. Injections therefore provide rapid results that often last longer, with lighter treatments.
From around 50 years, results remain clearly visible—sometimes even very striking—but the skin requires more attention. Laxity is more pronounced, volume loss is more evident, and the skin regenerates more slowly. In this case, maintenance becomes essential to preserve the achieved effects.
Thus, it is not a question of effectiveness, but rather of long-term stability. The earlier the intervention, the more durable the results, with simpler and less frequent treatments.
The speed at which signs of aging reappear after treatment depends on individual factors, sometimes overlooked.
Smoking, for example, significantly accelerates collagen breakdown and cellular oxidation, making results more short-lived. Similarly, regular unprotected sun exposure partially negates the benefits of injections and other aesthetic treatments by activating enzymes responsible for breaking down dermal fibers (matrix metalloproteinases).
Poor lifestyle habits—unbalanced diet, lack of sleep, stress—weaken the skin and reduce the effectiveness of aesthetic care. Without regular maintenance, results fade more quickly.
Finally, some genetic profiles age faster, independently of the environment. These patients respond well to treatments, but maintenance must be more frequent.
During consultations, these factors are always considered to personalize the treatment schedule and propose a protocol tailored to the patient’s lifestyle.
Even though the effects of aesthetic treatments can last several months, the skin naturally continues its aging process. It is therefore essential to recognize the first signs indicating that maintenance is needed.
The return of a wrinkled texture, the creased appearance of less dense and less toned skin, is one of the earliest markers. The reappearance of prominent veins may also indicate a loss of subcutaneous volume. Other warning signs include persistent dryness or discomfort to the touch despite regular use of moisturizing products, or a loss of radiance reflected in a dull and uneven complexion. Sometimes, small pigmented spots reappear, particularly if sun protection has not been rigorously maintained after the initial sessions.
As soon as one or more of these signs appear, a maintenance session is strongly recommended. It not only prolongs the results obtained but also preserves the improvements and prevents the skin from returning to its initial state. In practice, the frequency of these sessions varies depending on the patient profile: from once every six months to once a year, depending on age, treatments performed, and lifestyle.
It is perfectly possible to stop a hand rejuvenation protocol, without any danger or rebound effect. Stopping treatments does not cancel the benefits of the procedures already performed, but the effects gradually fade, and the skin resumes its natural aging process. However, the skin has benefited from biological support (collagen stimulation, improved hydration), the effects of which partially persist even after treatment is discontinued.
This means the skin does not “deteriorate” faster, but results naturally diminish over 10 to 15 months. Loss of density or reappearance of spots may occur more quickly if the environment is unfavorable (UV exposure, smoking, oxidative stress).
It is also important to note that these treatments do not create any physiological dependence.
Any subsequent resumption of treatment is possible, without side effects or technical difficulties. However, the longer the interruption, the greater the number of sessions required to regain the previous results.
Article written by Dr Romano Valeria
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