By BR Amelia
There gets to a point in every woman’s life where it becomes harder and harder to hide your true age. Yes, you can still soften fine lines with serums and moisturisers. Yes you can use flattering makeup. Yes, you can go down the surgical path to lift and tighten. But all it takes is for one person to look down at your hands and the game is up, especially if you haven’t taken care of them over the years.
Brown liver spots, ropey looking veins and thin papery lined skin are our hand’s dead giveaways that we’re not as youthful as our face might suggest. So how can we look after our hands in order to keep people guessing as we get older? Perhaps even more importantly, is there anything we can do to turn back the clock?
Sunblock. We can’t bang on enough about how good sunblock is for your skin. Every morning, rain or shine, do your face (do your body!) and make sure you swipe a decent amount over your hands too. A daily dose of sunblock will help keep the liver spots and the wrinkles at bay.
Moisturise. Keep a thick and nourishing moisturiser in every single handbag, in your car’s glovebox, on your bedside table, on your bathroom’s sink, beside your kitchen sink. Then make sure you use it, especially after doing the dishes or washing your hands. Speaking of doing the dishes, always wear gloves. Always. No exceptions.
Another option is to give your hands the spa-treatment.
DIY it at home by grabbing good old Vaseline, smothering your hands in it then popping cotton gloves or socks over your hands before you catch some zzzz’s at night. If you really want to treat yourself, and your pincers, book in a Paraffin Wax treatment at a salon for a hydrating treat.
If your hands are already home to brown spots you can try lightening them by rubbing in lemon juice, aloe vera or even olive oil. Leave it on the spots for half and hour before washing it off. If the natural method doesn’t work you can head to the salon for a spot of IPL (intense pulsed light), which is said to break down the brown spot’s pigmentation.
As for those veiny veins? Alas, the collagen in our hands is quick to break down, which is why those bumps and lumps are quick to show up. If you’re game there are options involving fillers being injected into your skin. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can make like Madge and wear MJ style gloves for the rest of your life. Although while that look can be rocked on the red carpet, on stage and during winter, I’m not so sure how it’ll go down at the local grocery store …
The other option of course is to not let it bother you and to just get on with life enjoying the body you’re in.
So, do tell… are you good at looking after your hands? Do they bely your real age or has a lack of care over time led to your hands showing how many rings you’ve got on your trunk? And, does anyone have any other tips on how to keep the sunspots and wrinkles at bay?
I think prevention is better cure. If you can just have an spf hand cream handy. I have an spf handcream handy by the washing machine and I apply it before I go to hang the washing. I try to always have gloves on if I am washing the dishes or if I'm going to be spending awhile outside. It's cold at the moment so that is easy. I am bit slack with reapplying handcream if I'm going to be at home though.