Do Your Hands Give Away Your Age?

It’s getting harder to discern the age of a women these days.  Better hair colour, yoga classes and a host of beauty regimes (along with botox and fillers) are helping women stay active and look years younger but sometimes we forget about our hands in the quest for agelessness.

Age spots and prominent veins can be treated at the dermatologist’s office but there are a few tricks I’ve picked up along the way to try at home which may help prevent your hands from giving away the game.

Tip and Tricks for Younger-Looking Hands

• Wear gloves!  When washing the dishes, cleaning, gardening or out in the elements, protect your hands with a good pair of gloves.
• Exfoliate – use a gentle exfoliator on your hands every week, more often in the winter.
  (raw sugar and olive oil make a great scrub)
• Moisturize – follow exfoliation and hand washing with a good moisturizer.
• Sunscreen – we may religiously use sunscreen on our face but don’t forget your hands.
• Stay away from dark or bluish-tinged nail polish which can bring out veins.  Try a classic orange-based red or neutral that complements your skin tone.   Avoid trendy nail art, glitter or neon polish.
• Keep nails short and youthful – long nails can be aging.
• Treat any nail discoloration – check with a doctor to make sure it’s not fungal.  Staining from dark polish can be treated with a soak in denture cleaner or by rubbing nails with a lemon wedge.
• Be sure to use a base coat before applying color and occasionally take a break from nail polish.
• Use cuticle oil to help keep nails healthy.
• Try keeping moisturizer with sunscreen in the car, at the sink and beside the bed to remind you to slather it on whenever possible.
• We all love our accessories but if you are wearing a ring on every finger, it’s probably too much.  One statement ring is stylish but too many rings or bracelets tend to take away from a more elegant look.

Our hands work for hard for us every day, they deserve a little extra care and attention.  A gentle hand massage and manicure can provide healing touch older adults will appreciate.  Sometimes, it just the simple things that make our day a little brighter.