Your hands are the first part of your body to show serious signs of ageing and, if you don’t have a youth-preserving plan for your hands, it will be a dead giveaway of your age.
Here’s certain things that are making your hands look old and how to reverse them.
Age spots
The funny thing about age spots is that they actually have nothing to do with age. Age spots are the result of sun exposure. Though sun-worshippers may get them earlier, they most commonly show up in people over 50, who’ve accumulated more sun exposure than their younger counterparts.
You should be smoothing on a dab of hand cream with SPF 30 before heading out the door each day and reapplying after you wash your hands or every two hours if you’re exposed to even a little sunlight.
Wrinkled skin
Exposure to UV light also leads to collagen damage that thins the skin and creates that crumpled appearance. Your first line of defence should be sunscreen.
In addition, the same over-the-counter retinols used to treat facial wrinkles may also be used to improve the texture of hands. Smooth on a pea-sized drop before bed to stimulate the production of thickening collagen.
Dry patches
Keeping your hands hydrated is a no-brainer. However, as you age, the skin barrier function weakens and becomes more susceptible to external irritants like soap and water. The result is increased dryness, inflammation and sometimes even cracks in the outer layer of skin.
For all-day moisture, slather on a hand cream that contains aluminium salts. Similar to the technology that’s used in antiperspirants to prevent wetness from leaving the skin, aluminium salts are now being added to hand creams to create a barrier that keeps water in and irritants out.
Because over-washing can dry out the skin and cause inflammation, minimise prolonged contact with water and reapply lotion each time you wash your hands.
Stained nails
Yellow nails can add years to your look. While discolouration is likely the result of polish wear and tear, it may be a sign of a more serious fungal infection, so first check in with your doctor.
To remove stains caused by nail polish, rub your nail beds with a lemon wedge; the natural citric acid will lighten the yellowish cast. Then smooth the surface and restore shine with a nail buffer.
- Information obtained from www.news.health.com.
Also read: Quick facts on why you should wash your hands
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