Sinclair Ellansé fillers used to rejuvenate hands
The Hollywood Handacial procedure offered by Dr David Jack involves injecting Ellansé fillers into the hands, to restore volume and decrease the visibility of tendons and veins. After a few bursts of Intense Pulsed Light to disperse pigmentation, a small amount of anaesthetic is applied under the skin, followed by four injections of filler on each hand. The initial reddening and swelling subside after about a week and the treatment should last for at least two years.

Alice Hart-Davis (pictured) at Dr David Jack Cosmetic Surgery

FOR YOUNGER HANDS AND ARMS

THE HAND LIFT

The Hollywood Handacial procedure involves injecting special Ellansé fillers into the hands, which plump up lost volume and decrease the visibility of tendons and veins.

Before starting on the injections, Dr David Jack gives the backs of my hands a few quick bursts of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), to disperse clusters of pigmentation. Next come the injections: four on each hand, into the spaces between the bones, the tendons and the veins.

First, he injects a tiny amount of anaesthetic just beneath the surface of my skin. I watch with appalled fascination as he follows with injections of filler, making a small but obvious lump, and carefully, with his thumb, mashes the mixture into the space he wants it to fill.

HOW IT FEELS: When performed on the face, IPL usually feels like you are being lightly flicked with an elastic band; on my hands, I feel only the lightest prickling. The rest of the procedure is fine.

THE RESULTS: Over the next 36 hours, my poor hands swell and redden a good deal. But as the days pass, it all calms down as predicted. A week later, my hands are looking good; they are definitely softer and look younger. The treatment should last for at least two years. However, for such a relatively small change, this is expensive.

OUCH FACTOR: 3/10.

EFFECTIVENESS: 6/10.

TIME TAKEN: Twenty minutes (plus a week to heal).

WHERE: Dr David Jack Cosmetic Surgery, 40 Harley Street, London W1G 9PP, drdavidjack.com, 020 7589 6309, £940.

Alice Hart-Davis

This weekend Madonna was unable to disguise her 58 years while watching a UFC fight in New York as she revealed her ageing hands.

AGE SPOT LIGHT THERAPY

The IPL machine is one of the workhorses of any self-respecting cosmetic clinic. It’s not the newest technology, but it is one of the safest and most useful.

The flashes of light that the machine delivers are absorbed by red or brown pigment in the skin which is then cleared out by the body, so it’s great at softening brown age spots on the hands.

As treatments go, it’s easy, quick and inexpensive — and it works.

HOW IT FEELS: My hands are covered in a clear gel that conducts the light from the machine into my skin. Each zap feels like a tiny pin prick, and it’s very quick.

THE RESULTS: I don’t have many visible brown marks on my hands thanks to a long-term sunscreen habit, but there are plenty building up beneath the surface. A few weeks after treatment, these become almost invisible, which is very satisfactory. I’m keeping up with the SPF hand cream, to keep them at bay.

OUCH FACTOR: 1/10.

EFFECTIVENESS: 8/10.

TIME TAKEN: Ten minutes.

WHERE: Dr Hilary Allen, Woodford Medical (various clinics across the south of England and in Belfast), woodfordmedical.com, £225. IPL is also available in cosmetic clinics nationwide.

Alice Hart-Davis

The IPL machine (pictured) is one of the workhorses of any self-respecting cosmetic clinic

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Light energy used at a specific wavelength travels down the hair shaft and is translated into heat energy, which damages the root, preventing it from producing more hair. Because the root can be damaged only when it’s in a certain phase of the growth cycle, it can take several sessions until all the roots are done.

After that the hair removal should then be semi-permanent — although you may need annual treatment to stay entirely stubble-free. I had my underarms treated, but laser hair removal is effective on any part of the body.

HOW IT FEELS: The therapist shaves the skin then uses a white pencil to draw around the target area. You wear goggles to protect your eyes, and while the laser feels a bit like your skin being flicked, at the same time, the skin is blasted with a shot of cold air so it doesn’t feel so painful. After the treatment a cooling gel is applied.

THE RESULTS: After the first two sessions, I definitely noticed less hair coming through. They suggest a minimum of six sessions (although some people may need up to 12) with four to six weeks between each. I had around ten.

Five years on, because I’ve never had any top-up sessions, I occasionally get the odd hair, but can pretty much skip shaving entirely.

OUCH FACTOR: 6/10.

EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10.

TIME TAKEN: Fifteen minutes for a single session.

WHERE: Skin Health Spa (skinhealthspa.com), from £65 for a single session to £440 for series of eight. Also at salons nationwide.

Claire Coleman

Madonna was unable to disguise her 58 years while watching the UFC fight in New York this weekend as she revealed her ageing hands

ARMPIT BOTOX

Botox is best-known for reducing muscle action in the face. But it can also be used to interrupt the nerve signals that instruct the sweat glands to sweat.

This might sound bizarre, but it’s a medically approved treatment for hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. It’s also popular in the City, with men who don’t want rings of sweat on their designer shirts when the pressure is on. The treatment lasts for four to six months.

Preventing the armpit from sweating isn’t dangerous (though obviously it’s not natural); the armpit is a relatively small area and there are a great many other sweat glands all over the body for letting off steam.

HOW IT FEELS: It’s quick and not too uncomfortable. Dr Nicky Naylor maps out a ring around the edge of my underarm with a marker pen, and then works her way across the area with a series of small injections.

I don’t ask for anaesthetic cream as I know this barely hurts, but anyone who wants it can have the cream applied 20 minutes before the injections.

THE RESULTS: Terrific, though it takes a few days for the pinprick injection marks to calm down. By then, I find I’m sweating less — and within ten days, my armpits don’t sweat at all, so I don’t need anti-perspirant.

OUCH FACTOR: 4/10.

EFFECTIVENESS: 9/10.

TIME TAKEN: Thirty minutes.

WHERE: The Harley Medical Group, clinics nationwide, harleymedical.co.uk, £550.

Alice Hart-Davis

Liz Earle Hand Repair Liz Earle Hand Repair, £21, uk.lizearle.com This Orange Flower hand cream softens, smooths and protects. Ideal for the winter months as the sweet orange extract has an uplifting fragrance. It also has a non-greasy formula so you don’t have to wait for ages for it to sink into the skin. Shop

Hand Chemistry Youth Complex Hand Chemistry Youth Complex, £19.99, boots.com This targets eight signs of hand ageing, including elasticity, brightness and texture. It promises results within 11 days. The lightweight plastic bottle is ideal for throwing in your handbag and topping up after you wash your hands. Shop

Estee Lauder Smooth + Tone Estee Lauder Smooth + Tone, £30, esteelauder.co.uk A moisturising cream that claims to act as a glove — hydrating hands all day and even after they have been washed. It contains an advanced procollagen complex that helps skin to look plump, smooths wrinkles and provides instant hydration. Shop