For many of us, our hands don’t do a good job of hiding our age. We put them through the wringer and then don’t pamper them like we do our face. It’s time to start the anti-aging process on our hands and turn back time.
Why do our face and hands show our age? They get the most sun. So stock up on the sunscreen and use it on your hands and arms every day. Make sure it has a sun protection factor of at least 15. For the best protection, look for ingredients avobenzone, Mexoryl, or Helioplex, Refinery29 wrote.
Don’t forget the sunscreen while driving. Good Housekeeping said that ultraviolet light shines on our hands through the window. Then brownish, blotchy discoloration and spots can start to develop.
Eileen Lambroza, MD, clinical instructor of dermatology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, recommends using a lotion that contains a bleaching agent like hydroquinone to fight against age spots, Prevention reported.
Mary Lupo, MD, a dermatologist in New Orleans, told Prevention that using a 2-percent cream that also contains alpha hydroxy acid or retinol might yield faster results.
Hand creams and lotions are great ways to keep your hands hydrated. Get out your reading glasses and look for three types of hydrating ingredients, as outlined by Refinery29.com.
Ceramide and phospholipids along with other emollients replace intracellular lipids in the skin. Hyaluronic acid among other humectants will cause water to be attracted to the skin. Shea butter and silicone are a couple of the occlusives that will retain water.
And don’t forget to choose one with an SPF of at least 15.
Another aging factor that affects our hands is volume loss. Even in youth, we don’t have that much subcutaneous fat tissue in our hands. With age, the skin on our hands can look thin and wrinkled, highlighting the bones, tendons and veins.
The sun is also to blame here. Sunlight breaks down the collagen that keeps skin taut and soft. In these cases, lotions and creams with ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids, peptides and retinoids rebuild that lost collagen and thicken skin.
Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, so keep on using the product. Getting a prescription from your dermatologist for a retinoid cream may be your best bet if over-the-counter products don't help.
You may notice that when the collagen is restored and the skin is thicker that veins and tendons stick out less. If you want to cover those even more, try a concealer or self-tanner.
Other reasons hands look older? Dryness from harsh soap, too much handwashing, and hand sanitizer.
The solutions here are pretty simple.
Try a gentler soap. If you have to wash often, use a hydrating lotion as mentioned above. Wear rubber gloves while doing chores.
As for hand sanitizers, their main ingredient is alcohol. They may banish germs, but they'll also dry out your hands. To avoid this, just use it on your palms, advised Good Housekeeping.
It’s time we start treating our hands as nicely as we treat our faces.
Reviewed September 16, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith