How to Get Softer, Smoother, Younger-Looking Hands

Most of us try our hardest to stop the clock in our face, but one of the places that shows aging the most is your hands. You make sure to moisturize, exfoliate and apply sunscreen to your face and neck on a regular basis, but do you remember to do the same to your hands? Chances are good, if you’re like most people, the answer is no. Make today the day that you include your hands in your skin care regime so you can knock back a few years. With regular care, you’ll notice younger looking hands.

The condition of your skin is all too often a dead giveaway as to just how well you take care of it. That’s doubly true of the areas of our body with thinner skin—particularly, our hands. We don’t love the saying that “you can tell a woman’s true age by her hands,” but we have to admit, there’s some truth behind the matter. These tips will get you on the right track to treating your hands with the same care you would the rest of your skin.

Though we all spend a lot of time obsessing about how to stop crow's feet and facial wrinkles, we can't forget about the rest of the body. One of the places that can really show age is the hands. These helpful tips will help you keep your hands feeling soft and looking young.

THE TROUBLE

DRY, RED SKIN

Skin needs moisture to stay soft and supple. When water in the top layer escapes, the texture becomes flaky. The catch: Water is also skin's potential enemy, because it can wash away the lipids that help hold on to moisture. Excessive hand-washing can strip away these natural oils and dry out hands, as can detergents, alcohol-based sanitizers, and abrasive scrubs. Redness and chapping often follow.

Protect Your Hands From the Elements:

Be it cold weather or hot dish water, protect your hands. The skin on your hands is very thin and not protecting them will cause aging.

When you’re scrubbing the pots and pans in hot water or cleaning with bleach, put on some rubber or latex gloves to keep the hot water and chemicals off your skin. In the cold winter weather, wear your gloves.

Don't forget your gloves:

In the wintertime, gloves are essential. But cold weather isn't the only thing that can damage your hands. When washing dishes, cleaning your bathroom and working in the garden, you should always wear gloves. Latex or rubber gloves can protect your hands from chemicals and hot water which can dry and damage your skin. When gardening, gloves can protect your hands, cuticles and nails.

Telltale Signs of Aging:

The skin on our hands is subject to the same damaging effects of the sun and environment as the face, especially since we rarely cover them, except with gloves in the winter, says board certified dermatologist. Hands also rarely reap the soothing benefits of moisturizers and sunscreens that we give the rest of our bodies. And yes, it’s true that the hands show a person’s age more than any other part of the body, due largely to to the fact that we frequently wash and strip them of natural oils, says Revision Skincare expert Emily Velez. The hands also end up with more sun damage due to constant exposure, and washing them throughout the day makes consistent protection difficult. Finally, the hands lose fat and volume, which leads them to have a bony and veiny appearance not exactly the picture of youth.

Always Wear Sunscreen:

Hands get extra sun exposure, believe it or not, from their position on the wheel when you’re driving your car and the backs of your hands get all the sun’s damaging rays right through the windshield, . Use a higher SPF sunscreen on the backs of your hands when you know they’ll be exposed for periods of time, just as you would on the rest of your body.

Your hands are exposed to the sun every time you are outside; specifically when you're driving your car. And we all know from our facial care, sun is the biggest cause of premature aging.

It might take some time to remember, but if you apply sunscreen to your hands on a regular basis, I promise you’ll be happy you did; especially when you notice how great your hands look. Keep a small bottle by your keys so you don’t forget.

Keep Lotion by Your Sink:

You may start off the day with moisturizer on your hands, but after you wash, the moisturizer goes down the drain with the soap.

By keeping a lotion at your sink, you’ll get into the habit of applying lotion after you wash and dry your hands. You’ll definitely notice an immediate difference after just one day.

Take a multivitamin:

Healthy doses of Vitamins A, B complex, C and E can all improve your skin. Vitamins C and E are particularly important in counteracting the effects of sun exposure. Vitamin A helps maintain and repair skin tissue, while B complex vitamins are essential for healthy skin, nails and hair. You can also use these vitamins topically on your hands.

 Consider fish oil supplements:

If you eat a lot of oily fish or take fish oil supplements, your hands will feel softer and smoother. Sardines, mackerel, fresh tuna and other oily fish contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) - the good fats. EFAs keep your skin moisturized and reduce inflammation. They also do double duty because they're great for your heart!

Get a manicure regularly:

Whether you do it at home or head to the salon, a manicure will keep your cuticles moisturized and your nails healthy. Healthy, well manicured nails will make your hands look younger too.

Moisturize Your Cuticles:

Trimming your cuticles is a bit of a controversy, so keeping them hydrated will keep that dry, scaly, jagged look at bay. This is easy to do a couple times a week before bed.

Using a cuticle and nail oil, swipe a bit on the cuticle and rub in. Not only will you keep your cuticles soft, but your nails will get some extra attention as well.

Treat your hands at night:

Coat your hands with a thick moisturizing cream or petroleum jelly before going to bed. Cover them with white cotton gloves or even socks. In the morning, your hands will look and feel softer and younger.

Keep Hand Stuff Handy:

“It’s a great idea to keep moisturizers by your sink, Director of R&D at Borghese. Apply moisturizer to still-damp hands after washing to minimize moisture loss, especially in the colder months. Don’t forget your cuticles they’re subject to drying and cracking, so be certain to take a moment to massage them in moisturizer, too.

Gentle Hand-Washing:

When you wash your hands, use the mildest anti-bacterial cleanser you can find to prevent them drying out too much, which can cause your hands to look older faster. Also, be sure to wear gloves when washing dishes or bathing your children.  water is very drying to the skin.

Keep Nails Neat and Trim:

Want younger looking hands? Grab the clippers! Nothing screams modern and youthful more than short nails, an on-air trend and lifestyle reporter. And forget protecting with just a clear coat your nails need a tinted moisturizer of their own to breathe a little bit of life and impart a rosy, healthy glow. Nail Treatment because not only does it offer protection, but it’s like perfecting makeup for your fingertips. ”It basically blurs all the imperfections on the surface of your nail that ages your hands it even smoothes out ridges and gives you a glassy finish! It’s magic, and my go-to.

Tip that heals and plumps up the thin skin on the back of your hand: Slather a very healthy dose of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream all over hands, especially your cuticles, before bed, and wear gloves to sleep. When you wake up you’ll find that any hangnails and even small cuts have healed overnight.