Profhilo for Hands: The Fix for Dry, Crepey Skin You Forgot to Treat

Most people spend years perfecting a skincare routine for their face and never give their hands a second thought. Then one winter they catch sight of the backs of their hands in good light and notice the change. The skin looks thin and papery. There is a faint crepey texture where it used to be smooth. Veins and tendons show through more than they used to, and the whole area can take on a slightly grey, dehydrated cast.

Hands are one of the first places to give away how the years and the sun have added up. The skin on the backs of the hands is thin to begin with, there is very little fat underneath it to keep things plump, and it takes constant sun exposure and endless washing without much protection in return. Cold weather makes all of that more obvious, which is exactly why the dryness and crepiness tend to peak in the depths of winter.

Profhilo is one of the treatments we reach for most often to turn that around. In a recent case at Wellface, a patient came in for her third round of Profhilo on the hands alongside a light anti-wrinkle treatment. The difference over the course was clear. The crepiness had softened, the grey, dehydrated tone had lifted, and the skin simply looked healthier and better hydrated rather than pulled or filled. That is the point of it. Below is how Profhilo works on the hands, what a session actually involves, and why we often suggest pairing it with BBL laser.

What Profhilo actually is

Profhilo is not a dermal filler, even though it comes in a syringe and is injected. It is one of the highest concentrations of stabilised hyaluronic acid available, and it behaves very differently from the fillers used to add shape or volume. Rather than sitting in one spot to build structure, it spreads through the skin and acts more like a hydrating, remodelling treatment.

Hyaluronic acid is a substance your skin already makes. It is a moisture magnet, capable of holding many times its own weight in water, and it is a big part of what keeps young skin looking plump and dewy. Levels fall as we age, which is one of the reasons mature skin looks drier and thinner. Profhilo delivers a large dose of it directly into the skin, where it draws in water and holds it there.

What sets Profhilo apart is that it also stimulates the skin to do more of its own work. As the hyaluronic acid gradually breaks down, it prompts the production of collagen and elastin, the two proteins responsible for firmness and bounce. So you get an immediate hydration boost and, over the following weeks, a genuine improvement in skin quality and elasticity. On the hands, that combination is exactly what is needed, because the problem there is rarely a lack of volume. It is thin, dehydrated, lax skin.

Why hands need their own treatment

The skin on the back of the hand is a different beast from the skin on the face. It is thinner, it has almost no supporting fat pad, and it is worked hard every day. Add decades of UV exposure, because hands are usually the last thing anyone thinks to apply sunscreen to, and you get a perfect storm for early ageing.

When the skin becomes dehydrated it loses that soft, opaque quality that hides the structures beneath. The result is what people describe as bony or skeletal hands, where veins and tendons stand out and the surface looks crinkled when you pinch it. The blue tinge of the veins and the greyish tone are both signs of skin that has lost moisture and thinned over time.

Profhilo addresses this at the level of the skin itself. By rehydrating and thickening the skin quality, it softens that crepey texture and restores a healthier surface. The veins do not disappear entirely, and Profhilo is not designed to bulk out the hand the way a structural filler would, but the overall impression shifts from tired and dehydrated to smooth and well cared for. Skin that looks healthy does not read as aged, even where a couple of age spots remain.

What a Profhilo hand session involves

The treatment itself is quick and far more comfortable than people expect. Profhilo is injected into the back of the hand using a small number of carefully chosen points rather than lots of little injections across the whole area. The product is very fluid, so it flows and spreads under the skin from each point, hydrating a wide zone from just a few placements. Your practitioner will usually massage it gently to help it distribute evenly.

A session takes only a few minutes per hand. There is no general anaesthetic and no need to numb beforehand for most people, though we always talk you through what to expect first. You might feel a small bump of product under the skin immediately afterwards, but this settles within hours as the hyaluronic acid disperses.

How many sessions you need

Profhilo works best as a short course rather than a one-off. The standard protocol is two sessions spaced about four weeks apart, which gives the skin the initial hydration hit and then reinforces the collagen-stimulating effect while the first round is still working. After that, most people top up every six months or so to maintain the improvement.

The patient in our recent reel was on her third round, and that is a good illustration of how the results build. Each course layers on the last, so the skin quality tends to look progressively better and holds up more comfortably through the drying winter months. Your practitioner will recommend a schedule based on how your skin responds and how much crepiness there is to address.

Downtime and aftercare

Downtime is minimal. You may see small raised bumps at the injection points and occasionally a little bruising, especially on the hands where the skin is thin and there are veins close to the surface. These usually settle within a day or two. Most people carry on with their day straight afterwards.

For the first 24 hours it is sensible to avoid heavy hand washing where you can, very hot water, and vigorous rubbing or massage of the area beyond what your practitioner has done. Skip strenuous exercise and saunas for the rest of the day. After that, the single most useful thing you can do is protect the results by wearing sunscreen on your hands and keeping them well moisturised, because sun exposure is what caused a lot of the damage in the first place.

Pairing Profhilo with BBL for age spots

Profhilo does a lot for texture and hydration, but it does not target pigment. Those brown age spots, sometimes called sun spots or liver spots, are a separate concern caused by years of UV exposure clustering melanin in patches. To even those out you need a treatment that works on colour rather than hydration.

That is where BBL comes in. BBL, or BroadBand Light, is a form of intense pulsed light that delivers gentle pulses of light energy into the skin. The energy is absorbed by the darker pigment in age spots, which breaks it up. Over the following days those spots often darken slightly and then flake away, leaving a more even tone behind. It is a well-established approach for photodamage on the hands and face.

Using the two together makes sense because they solve different halves of the same problem. Profhilo restores the smoothness, hydration and elasticity of the skin, while BBL clears the surface pigment that Profhilo cannot touch. The combined effect is hands that look smoother and more even, rather than just better hydrated with the spots still on show. Your practitioner will advise on timing and how many BBL sessions the pigment is likely to need, as this varies from person to person.

Common questions about Profhilo for hands

Does it hurt?

Most people find it very tolerable. There are only a few injection points per hand, and the product itself is thin and flows easily. You may feel a quick sting as the needle goes in and a sensation of fullness as the product spreads, but this passes quickly. If you are anxious about discomfort, mention it at your consultation and we will talk through the options.

When will I see results?

You will notice an improvement in hydration fairly soon, but Profhilo is a treatment that keeps working. The collagen and elastin stimulation happens gradually over the weeks following each session, so the fuller picture, smoother texture and better skin quality, tends to be clearest after the second session of the course.

How long do the results last?

After a full course, results typically last around six months, at which point a maintenance session keeps things topped up. Skin that has had several rounds, like the patient in our reel, often holds its improvement well. Sun protection and good moisturising make a real difference to how long the effect lasts.

Is Profhilo a filler that will make my hands look puffy?

No. Profhilo is not a volumising filler and it will not bulk out the hand or create lumps when placed and settled correctly. It works within the skin to improve its quality and hydration, so the effect is a smoother, healthier surface rather than added volume.

Who is it suitable for?

Profhilo hand treatment suits anyone whose main concern is dry, crepey, thinning or dehydrated skin on the backs of the hands. It is particularly useful in winter when the skin is at its driest. At your consultation the doctor will check the treatment is right for you, rule out anything that would make it unsuitable, and let you know if a combination with BBL or another approach would serve you better.

Give your hands the same care as your face

Hands work hard and rarely get the attention they deserve, yet they are one of the clearest markers of how skin is ageing. Profhilo offers a straightforward, low-downtime way to rehydrate them, soften that crepey texture and bring back a healthier look, with the option of BBL alongside to lift away age spots for a smoother, more even result.

If your hands have started to look dry, thin or dull and you would like to know whether Profhilo is the right fit, our doctors at Wellface in Cobham, Esher and Wimbledon are happy to take a proper look and talk you through a plan. Book a consultation and we can assess your skin, explain what to expect and put together the right course for you.