The skin on your face and neck is not the only area susceptible to the early signs of aging. Your hands are prone to these changes too due to constant exposure to work, sun, wind, rain, and water. This is especially true for the skin on the back of the hands, which is thinner than that of the face and other body parts.
Age-related changes on the hands show up at around 40s, but they can also appear sooner. Signs of aging on the skin may start to appear at a younger age if you don’t take any measures to protect your hands from the sun, water, and other harsh elements.
Whether you’re trying to keep your hands looking younger or improve their appearance, here are some of the things that can help.
Slather on sunscreen
Excessive sun exposure can break down the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin. This can then contribute to premature aging with the appearance of sunspots, lines, and sagging skin on your hands over time.
This makes prevention necessary regardless of how old you are. Be sure to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day, even on cloudy days. It is also important to reapply after washing your hands to keep them looking young.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
Frequent washing can zap the moisture out of your hands. This can then dehydrate your skin, resulting in more wrinkling or crinkling. Dry skin can also make the existing fine lines and wrinkles in your hand more prominent.
The use of creams and lotions throughout the day can help lock in the moisture and counteract crepey skin. Key ingredients to look for include shea butter, mineral oils, Vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid. It is also important to apply lotion/cream after washing your hands to keep them soft and supple.
Wear gloves
Protect your hands by wearing gloves when washing dishes, cleaning, or gardening. Keep in mind that hot water and harsh chemicals from detergents and bleaches can dry and irritate your hands. Some of these products may also be extremely acidic for your skin and may cause redness, blisters, and burns.
A pair of gloves can help you avoid the pain or risk of infection caused by exposure to water, chores, and chemicals. This is also particularly helpful if you have sensitive skin or if you don’t want dirt and cleaning products to come into direct contact with your skin.
Try a skin booster
If you’re already dealing with dry and crepey skin on the hands, consider Juvederm Volite. This innovative injectable treatment can hydrate and plump up the skin for up to nine months after just a single treatment. You can use this injectable on the face, neck, décolletage, and hands.
Volite is made of hyaluronic acid or HA, a naturally occurring substance in the skin. When injected, this combines with the water in the skin to hydrate, improve elasticity, and help improve fine lines. It is used as a skin booster treatment and is ideal if you have:
Dry/rough,crepey skin
Fine lines and wrinkles
Mild laxity on the face, neck, and back of the hands
Skin depressions
Volite also stimulates the body’s own natural collagen to improve skin quality. Studies showed that results can last up to nine months and provide significant improvement in skin quality for up to six months. You can check out our previous blog to learn how Volite can improve your skin quality.
Consider Limelight IPL for brown spots
If you’re bothered with sunspots and pigmentation on the back of your hands, Limelight IPL can help. This non-invasive skin lightening procedure uses FDA-cleared intense pulsed light (IPL) to effectively deal with skin surface problems like freckles and pigmentation.
The procedure is ideal on hands with brown spots, tiny veins and skin redness. Other treatable areas include any part of your face, neck, chest (décolleté), shoulders, and arms. Light brown spots, which were previously difficult to resolve, respond very well to Limelight IPL.
This works by delivering intelligent pulses of light that targets the pigmentation. This then draws out brown spots on the top layers of the skin. The pigmentation may turn darker after the procedure, but they will flake or crumble off for five to seven days. Your pigmentation will eventually get better after this period.
Keep your hands looking young by giving the TLC they deserve. You shouldn’t hesitate to consider aesthetic treatments for noticeable skin changes in your hands. Contact Cutis Laser Clinics and schedule a consultation with one of our aesthetic doctors to learn more about the mentioned procedures.
