Health x Wellness

Don’t Neglect Your Hands

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You might be taking extra care of your face to fight the signs of ageing, but neglecting your hands can also give away your true age.

While faithfully moisturising and applying sunscreen on your face can combat the signs of ageing, don’t forget your hands! Our hands are often subjected to the most ‘abuse’ due to frequent washing and sun exposure, and with no proper care for them, your hands can age faster than your face, causing you to look older than your real age.

As told by doctors, the back of your hands have little fat and when even a small amount of collagen starts breaking down (as part of the natural ageing process), there will be noticeable changes such as wrinkles or bulging veins at the back of your hands. Dermatologists have also warned that the amount of sun exposure you had when you were younger can also bring out brown spots and pigmentation problems at the back of your hands, giving away your age.

Thankfully, even if you’ve been neglecting your hands all this while, you can still slow down the ageing process with some of these tips:

Wear Gloves

The frequent exposure to harsh detergents when you do the dishes can cause dryness and cause your hands to age faster. Protect your hands with rubber or latex gloves when you scrub your pots and pans to keep the chemicals away.

Apply Sunscreen Daily

Every time you get on the road, your hands are directly exposed to the sun. Given that sun exposure causes premature ageing of the skin, protect your hands daily with a layer of sunscreen just as you do for your face! Prevent brown spots and wrinkles from developing by making it a habit to apply sunscreen on the back of your hands just before you leave the house and you’ll be thankful that you did in due time.

Use Milder Hand Soaps

While detergents strip our hands of their natural oils, so can liquid hand soaps. Liquid hand soaps contain chemical irritants that will leave your skin drier and more susceptible to cracking after use. Switching to a gentler hand soap can do your hands much good if you find yourself washing your hands frequently through the day. Some gentler hand soaps include brands like Dove and Cetaphil.

Moisturise

As with your face, moisturising your hands is also important. Place a bottle of hand lotion by the sink so you’ll make it a habit to moisturise your hands after washing them. Invest in a good hand cream that contains key ingredients such as Shea Butter, Macadamia Nut Oil, Vitamin E and Glycerin, as they all work to keep the skin on your hands more supple and youthful looking.

Some affordable hand creams with these key ingredients include:

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

loccitane

Contains 20 percent Shea Butter, honey and sweet almond extract and anti-oxidising Vitamin E to nourish and protect dry skin.

Nivea Smooth Nourishing Hand Cream

nivea

With a blend of Macadamia Nut oils and Vitamins, this hand and nail cream strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and keeps the hands intensively moisturised even from frequent washing.

Eucerin pH5 Skin-Protection Hand Cream

eucerin

Contains Glycerin to keep skin moisturised as well as Dexpanthenol, an active complex clinically proven to stimulate skin regeneration and strengthen skin’s natural protective barrier.

* When you moisturise your hands with these creams, don’t forget to massage them into the cuticles, as this helps prevent a dry, scaly look around your fingernails as well as give it a more youthful appearance.

With these tips in mind, never neglect your hands ever again! But of course, do consult your dermatologist for recommendations first.

 

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