Yes, a hand lens does refract light. A hand lens, commonly known as a magnifying glass, is made of a convex lens that is thicker in the center than at the edges. When light rays pass through this type of lens, they bend or refract due to the change in medium from air to glass.
The bending of light rays causes them to converge, which magnifies the object being viewed through the lens. This effect is what allows you to see details that are not visible to the naked eye. The greater the curvature of the lens, the more light is refracted, and the more magnification you achieve.
In summary, a hand lens indeed refracts light, and this property is utilized to magnify objects, making it a useful tool for examining small details in various fields, including biology, geology, and everyday tasks like reading.