Are your hands making you look older? Here’s how to treat them
Hands up if your hand-care routine is largely non-existent. If that’s you, the first place to start is by keeping an SPF50+ hand cream close at all times; we love Ultra Violette Extreme Screen Hydrating Hand & Body Skinscreen SPF50 ($35). The sun can hasten the appearance of age spots, discoloration and skin laxity even while driving, so keep it in your glove box, too.
According to New York-based dermatologist Morgan Rabach, “In the past, hand care often took a back seat to facial skincare, but now many people are more concerned with how their hands reflect their age.” This has seen an uptick in anti-ageing salon treatments such as lasers, peels and injectables for hands.
Hand care is an often overlooked step in a skincare routine. Credit: Getty Images
Picosecond lasers deliver energy in short pulses and are good for targeting pigmentation caused by cumulative UV exposure, breaking the pigment into tiny particles that are then eliminated by the body. Fractional carbon-dioxide ablative lasers reduce both pigmentation and fine lines by resurfacing the skin and improving tone and texture. The downtime for this treatment is about 10 days, and common symptoms include swelling, redness and shedding skin.
Hand filler treatments address loss of collagen and fat in the skin around prominent veins and tendons, resulting in smoother, plumper-looking hands. Radiesse filler is usually injected into strategic areas in the back of the hands where volume loss is most noticeable, such as over bones and around tendons, to boost collagen production. The effects last about a year.
Following a treatment such as this, home love is essential. Start with a gentle granular exfoliator, such as L’Occitane Shea Butter One-Minute Hand Scrub ($19), to keep hands smooth. You can also use your usual antioxidant serum and moisturiser over the backs of your hands.
Another keep-close-at-hand favourite is Nécessaire The Hand Cream ($41) – lightweight and easily absorbed, with a high concentration of ceramides, peptides and marula butter to target parched skin. For night repair, try Soft Services Theraplush Overnight Repair Treatment ($62), a viscous hand cream with retinol and calming colloidal oatmeal.
To target pigmentation, try Silky Paws Advanced Age-Defying Hand Cream ($99), which is great for brightening thanks to fermented black-rice water. For cracked hands, Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Moisturising Hand Cream ($40) has lipids that help retain moisture as well as hydrating glycerin and panthenol to soothe irritation. And for a sweet travelling companion, you can’t go past Victoria Beckham Beauty San Ysidro Drive Hand Cream ($67), a delightful gel with brightening niacinamide and an antioxidant-rich blend of apple, watermelon and lentil extracts. Yum.
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