Even though beautiful hands take some time and effort, they’re worth it. Hands show your age faster than most other areas of your body. They give the world a glimpse into how you live. To maintain the beauty of your hands, here are five must-do tips.
While your eyes may be the windows to your soul, your hands offer a view into your life. They generally take a lot of abuse from everyday chores and environmental factors, such as handwashing and sunshine, as well as the natural effects of aging.
Taking good care of your skin, whatever your age, will help you grow old more gracefully. This includes paying attention to your hands. To help, here are five great beauty tips for maintaining the beauty of your hands.
Protect Hands from the Elements
While sun exposure can cause wrinkles and dark spots on the visible areas of your body, the back of your hand is particularly susceptible because the skin is thinner and frequently exposed to the elements. Specifically, sun exposure breaks down collagen, the main component of connective tissue that provides firmness and shape. Additionally, extremely cold weather can dry and chap your hands.
To keep the skin on your hands healthy, it’s important to keep it moisturized, especially after washing and during winter months when humidity declines due to cold weather and indoor heating. Choose an emollient-rich soap that contains no irritating additives to help reduce dry skin when you wash and use a hand lotion that won’t zap the moisture in your skin. Find one that contains emollients (to moisturize your skin) and humectants (to draw moisture to your skin). Be sure to apply sunblock afterward to protect against sunburn.
Help Hands Age Gracefully
One of the first places you’re likely to notice aging is on the back of your hand. In fact, your hands often show your age even faster than your face. This is primarily because the skin on the back of your hand is so thin.
Protect your skin from further thinning by protecting it from the sun and making sure to get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. You can find these healthy fatty acids in foods such as fatty fish, like tuna, salmon, and mackerel, as well as walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil. You may also want to speak with your doctor about adding fish oil supplements to your diet.
Finally, ensure you hydrate sufficiently by drinking plenty of liquids daily. Yes, water is best. However, most health experts agree most non-alcoholic liquids can improve hydration and skin elasticity.
Handle Hands with Care
When it comes to hand care, a defensive posture is best. Whether you’re in the garden, in the kitchen, working on the car, or doing something else, any task you do around the house can result in a hand injury. Take steps to protect your hands.
Beautiful hands also require you to notice any changes in your skin or nails. They can reveal health concerns, such as vitamin or mineral deficiencies. For instance, ridged nails may mean a vitamin B deficiency, while brittle, dry nails may indicate you need calcium. Consult your doctor if you notice changes.
Additionally, don’t forget to exfoliate your hands regularly. You can do this with a simple homemade exfoliant. Sugar or salt mixed with olive or coconut oil will do the job.
Protect Hands with Gloves
One of the most important actions you can take to protect your hands from daily life is to wear gloves – for everything.
For chores that require you to put your hands in water, use plastic or rubber gloves. When you work in the yard, wear gardening gloves. If you do extreme manual labor, wear heavy work gloves. Finally, protect your hands against inclement weather by wearing cold-weather gloves.
Another way to use gloves to care for your hands is while you sleep. Simply wear cloth sleep gloves (available online) overhand cream at night for deep penetration and moisturizing results or use petroleum jelly and white cotton socks for a similar result.
Take Time to Manicure Hands
Many people think of a manicure as a special treat. However, if you want to keep your hands looking beautiful, you’ll need to get a manicure (or do it yourself) more than just occasionally. Here are five tips for doing your own manicure:
- Soften cuticles for a few minutes in warm water before pushing them back gently with a cuticle tool.
- File your nails in one direction from the corners to the tip of your nail.
- Finish your nail by gently filing the tip in one direction.
- Buff nails with a nail buffer.
- Moisturize hands afterward, paying particular attention to your nails.
A final thought: Occasionally, take a break from nail polish. Polish can yellow your nails, so go without to give nails time to breathe. Additionally, nail polish remover can dry out your nails. Choose one that is acetone free.
Maintaining beautiful hands isn’t difficult. You just need to build their care into your regular routine and follow these five tips for keeping your hands looking good.