If you’ve managed to ward off the signs of ageing from your face, then having your true age revealed by the state of your hands can be frustrating to say the least.
Along with crow’s feet and grey hair, wrinkled hands with papery skin can go a long way towards making a person appear considerably older. Once these signs of ageing do begin to appear, they can be difficult to hide and even harder to get rid of. Short of wearing gloves all of the time (something Madonna’s a fan of), there’s little can be done to conceal these dead giveaways.
As always, prevention is better than cure when it comes to looking after your hands, so we’ve taken a look at the best ways stop the damage setting in. But, even if it is too late to put early preventative measures in place, there are procedures available that can rejuvenate your tired looking hands.
So, without further ado, here Save Face’s tips to help with prevention, followed by the best procedures for fixing problem hands.
Start Your Regime Young
Your hands are exposed to the sun more frequently than any other parts of the body, so it’s no surprise that they’re more susceptible to sunspots and accelerated ageing.
Your hands are often the first part of your body to begin displaying the signs of ageing, and the quality of skin on the backs of your hand can begin to deteriorate from as early as your mid-20s. This early deterioration may not be noticeable, but don’t kid yourself that it’s not happening. Start looking after your hands in your 20s and reap the benefits later.
Sun Protection is Paramount
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, it’s never too early to start taking care of your skin by applying a broad-spectrum SPF every day, regardless of the weather. This is especially important for your hands, which are constantly bombarded by UVA rays when you’re out and about, particularly when driving.
It’s a good idea to consider driving gloves for particularly sunny days, and don’t forget to apply sun screen if you’re getting a gel manicure that uses a UV lamp.
Maximise Your Moisturising
Using thick hand creams, particularly overnight, can really help keep the skin on your hands looking healthy. Again, cotton gloves are a great way of ensuring that your moisturiser stays on your hands instead of your sheets, and is able to absorb slowly over the night. Also, if you find that your hands also suffer after prolonged contact with water, rubber gloves are also a must if you’re washing the dishes.
Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures
If the skin on your hands has already begun to deteriorate, then non-surgical cosmetic procedures can really help to improve their appearance.
The loss of fat in the hands that comes with age and displays prominent veins and tendons can be safely replaced with injectable fillers to hide unsightly veins and tendons and recover a youthful appearance. As an added benefit, these fillers encourage the production of collagen which will also improve the surface texture of the skin. If the skin has lost elasticity and appears dry and crepey, injectable skin boosters can deliver firmer, plumper skin.
Age spots can also be improved with procedures such as laser and Intense Pulsed light (IPL). This type of photo-rejuvenation works by targeting concentrated areas of melanin in the skin and breaking them down so that they can be reabsorbed by the body.
Save Face
If you are considering undergoing a non-surgical cosmetic procedure, it’s important to select a properly qualified and suitably experienced practitioner. This can be more difficult than it sounds, as the non-surgical cosmetic procedures industry is inadequately regulated, and many unqualified practitioners take advantage of this fact.
Never be tempted by time-limited deals or bargain offers as you could find yourself paying with your health. Use the Save Face search engine to get in touch with a Save Face accredited practitioner who has been vetted against our strict set of objective standards, and ensure that you stay safe, not sorry.