Your Hands Reveal Your Age — Let's Change That
Fat Transfer to Hands in Ottawa with Dr. Mehrad Jaberi
People often invest significantly in keeping their face looking youthful — and then their hands give everything away. The dorsum of the hand is one of the earliest and most obvious sites of age-related volume loss. As the subcutaneous fat beneath the skin depletes over time, tendons become prominent, veins rise to the surface, knuckles appear bony, and the skin lies flat against the underlying structures with no cushion of youth beneath it.
Fat transfer to the hands is the gold-standard treatment for hand aging. Using your own fat — harvested from the abdomen, flanks, or thighs — Dr. Jaberi precisely restores the volume beneath the hand's dorsal skin, filling out the contour, smoothing visible tendons and veins, and returning that full, padded look that characterizes a young hand. No foreign material. No ongoing maintenance. Just permanent, natural-looking restoration that moves and feels like it should — because it is your tissue.
1 – 2 hours
Sedation or general
1–2 weeks downtime
Permanent (60–80%)
Both hands in one session
Why Hands Age the Way They Do
The hand has very little subcutaneous fat to begin with. Unlike the face, where volume loss is distributed across cheeks, temples, and lips, the hand has only the thin dorsal fat compartment — and once that depletes, there is nothing between the skin and the underlying tendons, veins, and bone.
Contributing factors include:
- Natural aging — progressive fat atrophy in the dorsal fat pad after the mid-40s
- Significant weight loss — including GLP-1/Ozempic-related weight loss, which depletes fat everywhere, including the hands
- Sun damage — accelerates skin thinning and laxity on the dorsum
- Genetics — some patients have naturally slender hands and begin noticing this in their 40s
The result is a hand that looks 20 years older than the patient's face — an incongruity that fat transfer elegantly corrects.
Who Benefits Most?
- Prominent tendons or veins on the back of the hands
- Bony or skeletal appearance that draws unwanted attention
- Volume loss following significant weight loss (including GLP-1 medications)
- Patients seeking a long-term solution rather than repeated filler appointments
- Those combining with a facelift or other procedure for comprehensive rejuvenation
- Good general health and stable weight
The Procedure — Step by Step
Step 1: Fat Harvest
A small volume of fat is harvested via gentle liposuction from a suitable donor site — typically the abdomen, love handles, or inner thighs. Only a modest volume is needed for the hands, so most patients have adequate fat regardless of body type. The harvest site receives a small improvement in contour as a secondary benefit.
Step 2: Processing
The harvested fat is processed using a closed, sterile system to concentrate the viable adipocytes and remove oil, blood, and tumescent fluid. Dr. Jaberi uses a meticulous technique that maximizes the fat survival rate by maintaining cellular integrity throughout processing.
Step 3: Injection
Using fine cannulas, fat is injected in multiple passes and micro-droplets throughout the entire dorsum of each hand — between the tendons, around the knuckles, and along the fingers. This even distribution creates a smooth, natural-looking result without lumpiness or irregularity. The goal is to recreate the soft, full contour of a younger hand — not to overinflate.
Simultaneous Treatment of Both Hands
Both hands are treated in a single session. There is no reason to stage this — and treating both ensures symmetry and efficiency for the patient.
Recovery Timeline
Significant swelling and mild bruising expected across both hands. Hands are elevated as much as possible. Light activities of daily living permitted; avoid heavy gripping or lifting.
Swelling peaks and begins to resolve. The hands appear overfull during this phase — this is intentional and expected. Most patients can resume light work. Do not assess the final result during swelling phase.
Swelling resolves. The hands look full, smooth, and natural. Grip strength returns to normal. Most daily and exercise activities are resumed.
Final volume settled as natural fat reabsorption stabilizes. The retained 60–80% of fat is now considered permanent. Tendons and veins are significantly less visible. Final result is fully appreciated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dermal fillers are temporary — typically lasting 6 to 12 months — and require ongoing repeat treatments. Fat transfer uses your own tissue and provides permanent volumization once the fat has stabilized. For patients who want a lasting, natural solution, fat transfer is the definitive treatment. Filler is a good option for patients who want to trial the result before committing to surgery.
The volume required for both hands is modest — typically 15 to 30 mL of processed fat. Most patients have a suitable donor site even if they are lean. Dr. Jaberi will assess this during your consultation to confirm suitability.
Yes — and this is one of the most popular combinations. Since fat is already being harvested for facial fat grafting, the additional fat needed for the hands adds minimal time to the overall procedure. Treating the face and hands simultaneously creates a comprehensive rejuvenation that brings the whole patient in harmony.
During the first 2 weeks, hands will appear swollen and overfull — this is a normal part of healing, not the final result. Once swelling resolves, the result is soft, natural, and proportionate. Dr. Jaberi's technique distributes fat evenly in micro-droplets to avoid any visible lumpiness or unnatural fullness.
Fat transfer to hands (both) starts at $5,500. When combined with another procedure involving fat harvesting, cost efficiencies may apply. A personalized quote is provided after consultation.
Your Hands Deserve the Same Attention as Your Face
Fat transfer to the hands is a permanent, natural-tissue solution that can take a decade off an aging pair of hands. A consultation with Dr. Jaberi will confirm your candidacy and outline what results are realistically achievable for you.
Book Your ConsultationOr call us directly: 613-591-1188