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Don't let hands give your age away
by Jo Wheatley
As recent pictures of Madonna show, you may have the body and face of someone ten years younger, but neglected hands are a dead age giveaway. We look at ways to keep your mitts in marvellous shape
Who looks after their hands? They're always in contact with the elements, household chemicals and extreme temperatures causing sun damage, dryness, chapped skin and age spots, yet our mitts are often left off the list when it comes to pampering. 'It's never too late to start caring for your hands as they respond quickly to a little TLC,' says Noella Gabriel, director of treatment product development for Elemis.
Give your hands a mini-facial
Caring for your hands means more than rubbing a bit of hand cream in when you remember, believes Noella. 'Give your hands a mini 'facial' once a week,' she says. 'Gently rub an exfoliater on your hands and then soak them in warm water with a drop of milk. Pat dry then apply an oil (try Elemis Exotic Frangipani Manoi Moisture Melt, £29), to nourish them, using a hand cream to seal the oil in.' Noella also recommends wearing cotton gloves overnight to help your skin absorb hand cream better. We lose moisture from our hands every time they come into contact with water so get into the habit of applying hand cream throughout the day. 'Have some by the sink or by your computer at work, and reapply two to three times a day - when you come back from the bathroom, or after washing up or eating.'
Protect your mitts
She stresses that it's vital to protect your hands all year long. 'Wear an SPF factor on them, especially in the peak summer months. And in winter wear gloves to prevent damage from cold weather.' If you have very dry skin from manual work or you're in the kitchen a lot of the time, applying a barrier cream first can help protect your hands, says Noella.
Provide nourishment
For damaged or chapped skin you need a cream containing anti-inflammatories. 'Choose lavender and chamomile and avoid creams containing citrus or flowery ingredients, which can increase soreness and irritation,' Noella advises.
If you have sensitive skin, again go for the herbal lines such as geranium or rose. 'Do a patch test on the back of your arm before applying a hand cream'.
Many creams now contain anti-ageing ingredients, such as skin whiteners and skin plumpers. 'Look for ingredients such as red seaweed and minerals like quartz,' adds Noella.
No-surgery treatments
Want a more permanent solution for younger looking hands? Dr Patrick Bowler, from Channel 4's '10 Years Younger', and author of 'The Nervous Girl's Guide To Nip & Tuck' (Harper Thorsons, £7.99) gives us the low-down on hand treatments:
Spot the difference
'The thing people most dislike about their hands is sun spots, also referred to as liver spots or age spots,' says Dr Bowler. He recommends intense pulsed light therapy, or IPL, where a hand piece emits a bright flash of light to fade the pigmentation. 'You should see a 60-70 per cent improvement,' he says.
How much? Around £250 per session. You'll need two or three, three months apart
Will it hurt? It can be briefly uncomfortable when the machine flashes.
How long does it take? 15 minutes for both hands
Will it last? Yes, for as long as you protect your hands from the sun and continue with yearly maintenance sessions.
Plump it up
Crepey skin is another of our top bugbears, according to Dr Bowler. 'The skin on our hands thins by 60-70 per cent over 40-50 years so your bones and veins start to show through,' he says. 'Peeling treatments (chemical potions that exfoliate the backs of the hands); microdermabrasion (a hand piece containing industrial diamonds passes over the skin, while a vacuum gently sucks up any debris); and red light (a strong bright light is shone on the affected area), all help to plump up the skin.'
How much? £75-£100 per session
Will it hurt? Yippee, it's all pain free
How long does it take? 15 minutes per treatment
Will it last? A 50 per cent improvement if you have a course of one a month for six months, which you can then maintain with a top-up treatment every three to six months.
Source
by Jo Wheatley
As recent pictures of Madonna show, you may have the body and face of someone ten years younger, but neglected hands are a dead age giveaway. We look at ways to keep your mitts in marvellous shape
Who looks after their hands? They're always in contact with the elements, household chemicals and extreme temperatures causing sun damage, dryness, chapped skin and age spots, yet our mitts are often left off the list when it comes to pampering. 'It's never too late to start caring for your hands as they respond quickly to a little TLC,' says Noella Gabriel, director of treatment product development for Elemis.
Give your hands a mini-facial
Caring for your hands means more than rubbing a bit of hand cream in when you remember, believes Noella. 'Give your hands a mini 'facial' once a week,' she says. 'Gently rub an exfoliater on your hands and then soak them in warm water with a drop of milk. Pat dry then apply an oil (try Elemis Exotic Frangipani Manoi Moisture Melt, £29), to nourish them, using a hand cream to seal the oil in.' Noella also recommends wearing cotton gloves overnight to help your skin absorb hand cream better. We lose moisture from our hands every time they come into contact with water so get into the habit of applying hand cream throughout the day. 'Have some by the sink or by your computer at work, and reapply two to three times a day - when you come back from the bathroom, or after washing up or eating.'
Protect your mitts
She stresses that it's vital to protect your hands all year long. 'Wear an SPF factor on them, especially in the peak summer months. And in winter wear gloves to prevent damage from cold weather.' If you have very dry skin from manual work or you're in the kitchen a lot of the time, applying a barrier cream first can help protect your hands, says Noella.
Provide nourishment
For damaged or chapped skin you need a cream containing anti-inflammatories. 'Choose lavender and chamomile and avoid creams containing citrus or flowery ingredients, which can increase soreness and irritation,' Noella advises.
If you have sensitive skin, again go for the herbal lines such as geranium or rose. 'Do a patch test on the back of your arm before applying a hand cream'.
Many creams now contain anti-ageing ingredients, such as skin whiteners and skin plumpers. 'Look for ingredients such as red seaweed and minerals like quartz,' adds Noella.
No-surgery treatments
Want a more permanent solution for younger looking hands? Dr Patrick Bowler, from Channel 4's '10 Years Younger', and author of 'The Nervous Girl's Guide To Nip & Tuck' (Harper Thorsons, £7.99) gives us the low-down on hand treatments:
Spot the difference
'The thing people most dislike about their hands is sun spots, also referred to as liver spots or age spots,' says Dr Bowler. He recommends intense pulsed light therapy, or IPL, where a hand piece emits a bright flash of light to fade the pigmentation. 'You should see a 60-70 per cent improvement,' he says.
How much? Around £250 per session. You'll need two or three, three months apart
Will it hurt? It can be briefly uncomfortable when the machine flashes.
How long does it take? 15 minutes for both hands
Will it last? Yes, for as long as you protect your hands from the sun and continue with yearly maintenance sessions.
Plump it up
Crepey skin is another of our top bugbears, according to Dr Bowler. 'The skin on our hands thins by 60-70 per cent over 40-50 years so your bones and veins start to show through,' he says. 'Peeling treatments (chemical potions that exfoliate the backs of the hands); microdermabrasion (a hand piece containing industrial diamonds passes over the skin, while a vacuum gently sucks up any debris); and red light (a strong bright light is shone on the affected area), all help to plump up the skin.'
How much? £75-£100 per session
Will it hurt? Yippee, it's all pain free
How long does it take? 15 minutes per treatment
Will it last? A 50 per cent improvement if you have a course of one a month for six months, which you can then maintain with a top-up treatment every three to six months.
Source
