Pores on the Back of the Hands | A Doctor Explains the Causes, How to Get Rid of Them, and Costs

Among those troubled by the pores on the backs of their hands,

Some of you may feel this way, don’t you?

Hello, I am a doctor at Smart Skin Clinic, an aesthetic dermatology clinic.

You want to do something about the pores on the backs of your hands, but when you search, all you find are articles recommending hair removal. For those who have already had hair removal, it can leave you wondering, “So what should I do?”

In fact, hair removal is an effective approach for the pores on the backs of the hands. However, those who have already had hair removal cannot use this method.

For such patients, treatments such as ECM products including “Profhilo,” “Sunekos,” and “Jalupro Classic,” as well as PRPF injections, are effective.

In this article, our cosmetic dermatology clinic would like to explain, in easy-to-understand terms, what the ECM products and PRPF injections that address pores on the backs of the hands are, and why they can help reduce pores.

If you are troubled by the pores on the backs of your hands, we hope you’ll find this helpful.

Supervisor Information

Group Chief Director, Smart Skin Clinic Group

IshiiIshii KotaKota

Career

Graduated from Juntendo University School of Medicine

Worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital and affiliated facilities

Worked at a major aesthetic clinic in Tokyo

Affiliations / Qualifications

Board-certified specialist, Japan Surgical Society

Board-certified specialist, Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine

Causes of prominent pores on the backs of the hands

The pores on the backs of the hands are noticeablebecause, ultimately, “sagging pores” develop.will apply.

In fact, the pores seen on the backs of the hands often appear stretched vertically and are classified as “sagging pores.” Sagging pores are pores that become more prominent as the skin’s firmness and elasticity decline.

Normally, firm, elastic skin serves to keep pores tight. However, when the skin’s firmness and elasticity decline, the skin around each pore sinks inward, the pore tends to widen, and pores become more noticeable.

So why does the loss of firmness and elasticity on the backs of the hands occur?

The causes include the following:

• Aging
• Dryness
• UV damage
• Disrupted lifestyle habits

Each of these is explained in detail below.

Aging

As we age, the skin on the backs of the hands gradually becomes thinner. This is one of the body’s natural changes with age, as the components that support the skin’s structure—such as collagen and elastin in the dermis—decrease.

Normally, firm, elastic skin serves to keep pores tight, but as the skin becomes thinner, this tightening effect weakens and pores tend to widen. Widened pores cast shadows, and as a result the pores become more prominent.

Dryness

The backs of the hands have few sebaceous glands and thin skin, so they are naturally prone to dryness.

As dryness progresses, the surface of the skin becomes hard. Dryness also reduces the moisture inside the skin, causing it to lose elasticity and firmness, which makes the pores even harder to keep closed.

Furthermore, when dryness weakens the skin’s barrier function, the skin becomes more sensitive to irritation, so it becomes rough and its texture is disrupted. When the skin’s texture is disrupted, the skin around the pores becomes less smooth and the pores stand out more clearly.

Dryness also slows the skin’s renewal (turnover). When skin turnover slows, dead skin cells accumulate, and the activity of the cells that create the skin’s firmness and elasticity also slows.

With dry skin, these multiple factors influence one another, further worsening the dryness and making the pores more noticeable.

UV damage

UV rays reach deep into the skin and break down collagen and elastin. When this causes a loss of skin elasticity, it leads to widened pores.

UV rays can also disrupt the skin’s turnover and cause pigmentation around the pores. This can make the pores look darker and more prominent.

Disrupted lifestyle habits

An irregular lifestyle and a nutritionally unbalanced diet have a negative effect on skin health. In particular, a lack of vitamins and minerals lowers the skin’s metabolism and makes the pores more prone to clogging. Smoking, stress, and lack of sleep also disrupt skin turnover and make pores more noticeable.

Self-care to reduce the appearance of pores on the backs of the hands

To make the pores on the backs of your hands less noticeable, it is important to be mindful of the following self-care.

• Hydration
• UV protection
• Reviewing your lifestyle habits

However,It is difficult to improve pores through self-care alone, and it may be better to think of it as being effective mainly in keeping them from getting any worse.It may be better to think of it in that way.

Hydration

By improving dryness—one of the causes of visible pores on the backs of the hands—the pores become less noticeable. Use moisturizing cream or hand cream every day, applying it thoroughly especially after washing your hands and before going out. It helps to choose products containing moisturizing ingredients such as ceramide, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin.

UV protection

Because UV rays fall year-round, take UV protection measures regardless of the season.

In addition to applying sunscreen every day, protect the backs of your hands from UV rays by using UV-protective gloves when you go out.

Reviewing your lifestyle habits

A disrupted lifestyle, in particular, slows skin turnover and makes pores more noticeable. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are also factors that accelerate skin aging.

Try to avoid letting stress build up and incorporate moderate exercise and relaxation so that you can maintain healthy skin.

Recommended methods for addressing pores on the backs of the hands｜ECM products

When you search online for ways to improve the pores on the backs of your hands, you’ll find many pages that recommend hair removal. The reason is that physically removing the hair through hair removal makes it easier for the pores to close. However, for those who have already had hair removal, it can be discouraging to feel there’s nothing more they can do.

To get straight to the point,One effective method for those who have already had hair removal is ECM products.

ECM products is a general term primarily for non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid preparations—specifically, products such as “Profhilo,” “Sunekos,” and “Jalupro.”

First, let us explain why ECM products are effective for pores, and then the characteristics of each product.

Why ECM products work for pores

ECM products is a general term primarily for non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid preparations. Non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid is hyaluronic acid that has not been crosslinked, and it has the characteristic of spreading and penetrating easily.

The hyaluronic acid conventionally used in the beauty industry (i.e., crosslinked hyaluronic acid) was “crosslinked,” linking hyaluronic acid molecules together to keep the hyaluronic acid in the same place as much as possible.

Non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, is intended to spread the hyaluronic acid widely across the skin so that its effects diffuse. By letting the hyaluronic acid penetrate, its moisturizing and cell-activating effects can be delivered deep into the skin.

ECM products work for pores because of the following effects of non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid.

Incidentally,the way hyaluronic acid acts on the cells of the dermis to restore skin firmness and elasticity in this mannerECM remodelingis what it is called.

Each of the ECM products discussed here is expected to deliver this ECM remodeling effect. However, each product has its own characteristics, owing to differences in the molecular weight of the main ingredient—non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid—and in the other ingredients included in the formulation.

Let us explain the characteristics of each ECM product.

Profhilo

Profhilo is a formulation containing high concentrations of two types of non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid—high molecular weight and low molecular weight—andits defining feature can be described as “the ability to penetrate deeply and widely in multiple directions.”This is what characterizes it.

This penetrating ability is strong even compared with other non-crosslinked hyaluronic acids, and it is believed to penetrate into deeper layers.

If Profhilo can deliver the benefits of hyaluronic acid all the way to the subcutaneous tissue through this penetrating ability, healthier, plumper skin can be expected.

Profhilo also has the characteristic of having set injection points. Because its penetrating ability is strong, it is believed that simply injecting it at 10 predetermined points on the back of the hand will spread over the entire back of the hand without any problem.

If you’d like to learn more about Profhilo, please refer to this as well.

SUNEKOS 200

Sunekos is a formulation whose main ingredients are low-molecular-weight non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid and six types of amino acids. It is a product often applied over a wide area, such as the entire face and the neck, to improve skin firmness and elasticity.

Amino acids serve as the materials needed to synthesize collagen and elastin, and they further promote the activation of fibroblasts.

If you’d like to learn more about Sunekos 200, please refer to this.

Jalupro Classic

Jalupro Classic is a formulation whose main ingredients are low-molecular-weight non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid and four types of amino acids. It has strong moisturizing power and can be expected to improve fine lines and rough skin caused by dryness, as well as promote collagen production and improve skin texture.

If you’d like to learn more about Jalupro Classic, please refer to this as well.

What is the difference between Sunekos 200 and Jalupro Classic?

Sunekos 200 and Jalupro Classic are both formulations containing non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid and amino acids, and both can be expected to improve skin firmness and elasticity. The two products are often compared, but the difference between them lies in the types and ratios of the amino acids they contain.

Both products have similar ingredients and share many of the same claimed benefits, such as “improved firmness and elasticity and reduction of fine wrinkles.” There is no clear data showing that either is superior to the other.

They can be expected to help improve pores on the backs of the hands and restore skin firmness, but it is important to choose based on your skin condition and individual needs.

PRPF injection

PRPF injections are not an ECM product, but because they can be expected to help improve pores on the backs of the hands, we will explain them here.

PRPF injection is a type of regenerative medicine that uses growth factors extracted from your own blood.

An original preparation is created by adding fibroblast growth factor (FGF) to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) collected from your own blood, and injecting it into the back of the hand promotes skin regeneration and repair.

The difference is that while ECM products activate fibroblasts with hyaluronic acid, PRPF injections activate fibroblasts with fibroblast growth factor (FGF), a type of growth factor.

With PRPF injections, the production of collagen and elastin is promoted and the dermis is replenished, so the skin on the backs of the hands becomes plumper and the pores become less noticeable.

We have summarized the four treatments discussed here in a table, so please use it as a reference when considering your options.

	Profhilo	SUNEKOS 200	Jalupro Classic	PRPF injection
Hyaluronic acid. Molecular weight	High molecular weight Low molecular weight	Low molecular weight	Low molecular weight	—
Amino acids	—	6 types	4 types	—
Other	—	—	—	Growth factors
Price	60,000–160,000 yen	30,000–60,000 yen	40,000–90,000 yen	140,000–500,000 yen

If you want to eliminate the pores on the backs of your hands, turn to Smart Skin Clinic

Summary: ECM products and PRPF injections are effective for improving pores on the backs of the hands

The causes of prominent pores on the backs of the hands include aging, dryness, UV damage, and disrupted lifestyle habits, all of which contribute to the decline in skin firmness and elasticity that they bring about.

There is some self-care you can do to improve pores, but it is difficult to restore the underlying cause—skin firmness and elasticity—through self-care alone, so long-term results are hard to expect.

In this article, we introduced ECM products and PRPF injections as effective treatments for improving pores. These treatments directly target the dermis, which is responsible for skin firmness and elasticity.

Because each product has its own characteristics, it is a good idea to choose the one that best suits your needs.

• I’d like to hear a little more about it.
• I’d like to decide on the right product for me after having my hands examined.

If that’s how you feel, please come and visit our clinic.

We also offer free counseling, so we can advise you on the product that’s right for you.