Study: Appearance of Hands Reveal Age

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Hands may give it all away. A new study published in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery medical journal reveals that most individuals can correctly guess a person's age just by the appearance of their hands.

In the study, researchers asked participants to evaluate unaltered photos of female hands and were asked to guess the women's ages based on the photographs. Age groups were divided into several categories: younger than 20 years, 20 to 30 years, 30 to 40 years, 40 to 50 years, etc. In most cases, participants were able to accurately estimate each woman's age in the unaltered photos.

Study participants were then asked to view digitally altered photos of the same female hands. Blemishes, hand veins, and wrinkles were removed. Nail polish and jewelry were added. The majority of participants believed the altered hands appeared much younger.

However, the altered photographs of significantly elderly hands—characterized by age spots, deformity, joints, thin skin, wrinkles, and veins—did not make age less distinguishable among participants.

The study found that prominent hand veins were the most common age definer. In altered photos in which veins were removed, participants believed the hands look much younger. Lack of wrinkles and fullness also distinguished the youngest looking hands.

“A primary motivation to have plastic surgery is to look and feel better, often by seeking a younger looking appearance. However, looking younger after your facelift or eyelid surgery can conflict with aged hands that simply do not match the face,” said American Society of Plastic Surgeons president Roxanne Guy, MD.

“After the face, hands are the second most visible tell-tale sign of one's age. If your goal is to look more youthful or you are bothered by the appearance of your hands, you may seriously want to consider hand rejuvenation,” Guy said.

Guy lists a number of procedures that give the appearance of younger looking hands. Medical skincare regimens can maintain skin fullness and thickness, laser treatments and chemical peels minimize age spots, fat injections are used to fill in wrinkles and plump up skin, and laser ablation can reduce prominent hand veins.

“The good news is, although your hands may reveal more about your age than you desire, there are remedies out there,” Guy said.


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