Compare Treatment Options for Bulging Hand Veins

Reaching maturity is inescapable, showing it is optional!

For some time now, signs of aging of the face and neck have been able to be addressed with injections, cosmetic surgery, or both. But not many options have been available to address the issue of veiny hands causing the appearance of advanced aging. Developing veiny hands with age can be experienced as an aesthetic vulnerability by some women who strive to remain looking youthful. Now with my Rejuvahand™ procedure, a safe and minimally invasive surgical option to address this issue has become available.

With age, the normal sized dorsal hand veins become more visible because of the loss of the under-the-skin supporting fat pad layer, as well as physiological atrophy; thinning of the skin itself. As we age, these veins of the hand can start to bulge. Three main options exist for addressing this condition:

Injectable Fillers: Along with the patient’s own fat tissue, different chemicals are used as well. These procedures are expensive, and injected fillers need to be repeated regularly. To inject one’s own fatty tissue, it has to first be harvested by liposuction, but the results are longer lasting if compared to chemicals such as Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, etc. Due to causing in some cases a puffed up appearance of the hand, I do not recommend these procedures.
Injection Sclerotherapy: This is a procedure that has been used for over 160 years to treat leg veins. It involves injection of a chemical that causes an injury to the affected veins. The body tries to heal that injury, resulting in a scar that is supposed to close the vein. This procedure is not always successful and dangerous blood clots can result, along with unsightly brown pigmentation, multiple injection sessions and recurrences. Due to these drawbacks, I do not recommend sclerotherapy for hand veins.
Rejuvahand™: This much-preferred minimally invasive approach to removing hand veins using specially designed hooks creates only small 2-3mm skin openings and therefore stitches are not required and scarring does not occur. Done under local anesthesia, this procedure can be performed in an office setting. Patients can drive themselves to & from, and no down time is required. Results are exceptional as the unsightly veins are completely removed. No harm is done to hand venous circulation, as deeper veins will take over for normal circulation of blood from the hands to the heart.

What Is Rejuvahand™?

The Rejuvahand™ procedure as I named it, is a form of Ambulatory Phlebectomy, which is a Swiss method introduced by Dr. Robert Muller in the 1960s for varicose veins of the leg. He used his wife’s crochet hooks to remove bulgy and painful leg veins. I witnessed this minimally invasive procedure in Switzerland in 80s, and after 2 to 3 years of experience refining the technique removing varicose veins in my office, I introduced the method to the American Surgical establishment in 1991 through the first article on the subject, which was published in the American Journal of Surgery.

The procedure lasts from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. An initial bulky dressing is applied and then changed to a simple light bandage on the following day. Showering is possible with a supplied plastic sleeve placed over the hand. Minimal bruising and swelling can be expected and is usually gone within two weeks. The results are usually visible in the same period of time. After the superficial dressing comes off, if needed, a compression fingerless glove will be advised for an additional 2-3 weeks. No visible scars are expected, however, we will prescribe a topical medication that should further protect against scarring. In over 800 cases, I have not seen one infection and not one recurrence. Any occasional sensory deficits which may sometimes occur and will normally disappear within in a few months.