For a team who is so incredibly obsessed with beauty, we really don’t pay a lot of attention to our hands or give them the TLC they deserve (and need). But if we don’t want our hands to closely resemble a reptile before we even reach the age of 40 (we don't), then it's time to start. Since the skin on your hands is much thinner than anywhere else, your hands age a lot faster than your face and the rest of your body. And yet here we are addicted to every kind of face mask out there, treating our hair like gold, and making sure we detox our body. All the while not even batting a lash at our hands. Until now.
Age spots, wrinkles, and veins are the three major battles to fight when it comes to your hands. You’re most likely going to fall victim to all three of them because, well, such is life. But there are a few things you can do to prevent them from impacting you sooner rather than later. Trust us when we tell you not to procrastinate with this stuff, because you’ll only have yourself to blame.
1. Age Spots
Age spots are pesky and will sneak up on you when you aren’t looking (literally). They come from, you guessed it, sun exposure. Since you won’t see them coming, you have to do all you can to protect your hands from getting them in the first place. That means covering those babies in sunscreen every few hours, especially if you’re outdoors. Quick tip: keep a bottle of sunscreen in your bathroom beside the sink, or in your purse for when you’re out, so that you remember to reapply post-hand wash. And although they definitely aren’t the most fashionable things out there, you could always throw on a pair of gardening gloves when you’re outdoors, channeling your inner green thumb. It will protect your hands from the UV rays beaming down, plus no dirt under the fingernails. Bonus.
2. Wrinkles
Aside from the skin on your hands being extremely thin, there is also very little fat on the backs of your hands. Meaning that when any collagen or elastin fibers break down—and this will happen—you’re going to notice. Your skin will eventually become crepe-like, to which we say, no fucking thanks. Thankfully, there are a few solutions.
First off, you should try to only use natural products, i.e., shampoo, face wash, moisturizer, cleaning supplies, etc., because the chemicals in non-natural products will slowly (but surely!) wear your skin. Of course, we understand it’s extremely difficult to make the switch to all-natural everything, so also be sure to wear gloves when doing things such as bleaching your sink or hand-scrubbing your floor.
Next up, stock up on hand creams with retinol, antioxidants, and peptides. Retinoids and peptides encourage the growth of collagen and will help to improve the texture in your hands, keeping them looking younger longer. Antioxidants protect against UV rays and other harmful elements such as the aforementioned chemicals in your household products.
Last, but not least, be sure to exfoliate your hands on a regular basis to get rid of dead skin cells. But, like we said, the skin on your hands is very thin, so exfoliate lightly so as to not do more harm than good.
3. Veins
Here’s where things can get a little tricky. As you get older, the veins in your hands will become more apparent due to loss of fat. For some, this will happen a little earlier on in life due to genetics—we’re blaming you, Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, a cream won’t rid you of your veins, although we’re hoping somebody figures that out ASAP. In the meantime, there are still other options to consider, including laser treatments and fillers. That’s right, fillers don’t just get you Kylie Jenner lips; certain ones, such as Sculptra and Radiesse, will help to plump up your hands to replace lost fat. If you’re not too keen on that idea, opt for laser treatment: Fraxel laser treatment will help to even out the tone and texture of your hands, all the while helping to resurface the skin.
