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How to Keep Your Hands Looking Young

how to keep hands looking young

Along with everything else on this tired body, I’ve noticed my hands starting to look old. Isn’t it funny, the things you used to take for granted when you were younger?

I started noticing them in my outfit posts… I have some really prominent veins. I don’t know if it’s from weight-lifting or if it’s just part of growing older, but they really do have a way of aging my hands.

And you know that crepey look of old skin? Yeah. It’s starting to happen to me at 42. It’s particularly bad on the backs of my hands in the wintertime when my skin is dry.

So along with trying to maintain a youthful appearance of my face and body, I’ve started working on my hands as well.

9 Ways to Keep Your Hands Looking Young

1. Use sunscreen daily.

As usual, sun damage is the biggest culprit of older looking skin. I know I’m careless about my hands in the sun. I do wear sunscreen on my face every day, but I ignore my hands because I like to tan. So I don’t love this advice, but you should protect your hands from sun damage by applying sunscreen daily.

2. Switch to a gentle hand soap.

Another cause of older looking hands is the excessive hand-washing we’re accustomed to. Naturally we want to prevent the spread of germs, but washing our hands is drying, which is aging. Make sure you’re not using a harsh soap. I love the SoftSoap with Shea Butter or Method brand is mild. And you should know by now that anti-bacterial soaps are not good for you, right??

3. Invest in hand cream.

Investing in a good quality hand cream is a good idea because it is generally richer and more nourishing than lotion. The skin on your hands is very thin and it needs a richer cream than typical body lotions. And then, of course, using it regularly is essential. I keep a tube of hand cream in my purse so when I notice that my hands look dry, I can quickly apply. It’s also a good idea to set a bottle of lotion beside your sink and make sure to moisturize your hands after washing them.

4. Exfoliate regularly.

I knew about exfoliating my face, but my hands? I don’t think I’ve ever exfoliated my hands. You can make your own exfoliant using sugar and coconut or olive oil. Or you can buy exfoliating scrubs designed for the hands.

5. Apply your facial skincare products and techniques to your hands. 

This is along the same lines as the exfoliating advice. Vitamin C and retinol helps build collagen, reduce fine lines, and improve overall texture on your hands as well as your face so when you’re doing your nightly facial skincare routine, apply the products to the backs of your hands as well. I’ve started doing this every night, and I think it’s helping!

6. Take good care of your nails.

Regular manicures (homespun or professional, it doesn’t matter) will help keep your hands looking youthful. Well manicured fingernails improve the overall appearance of a lady’s hands. Nail polish is optional, but you should rub cuticle oil (I use coconut oil from my kitchen) into your cuticles every day, and keep your fingernails clean and filed neatly.

7. Keep your nails short.

Long nails are a dated look, and they will age your hands. File your nails to about 1/4-inch past your fingertips for the most youthful appearance. Also? Don’t file the sides, just the tips. Filing the sides weakens your nails.

8. Wear plastic gloves when cleaning and gardening. 

It’s easy to get lazy about this, but I’m trying to wear gloves more often when my hands are in dish water. Plus if you use harsh chemicals when you clean, they are hard on your hands as well.

9. Try driving gloves.

I’ve seen this recommended in a few places. I had never heard of them! But it makes sense if you do a lot of driving. You can actually get sun damage through the windows. I tried to find a shopping link for you, but the only ones I could find online were over $100 so . . . I’m not sure what to say about that!

 

Do you do any of these things? What are your best tips for keeping your hands looking young???

Join The Conversation

12 Responses

  1. My wake up call about my hands came when one of my cousins saw a photo where only my hands were visible holding a baby. She said, “I knew it was you because your hands look just like your mom’s”. Yikes! Time to take better care of them!

  2. Great list of tips! I admit I don’t do even half of those. I don’t want to have creepy old lady hands…plus driving gloves sound pretty sexy 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Sending love and happiness
    Mental Parent
    https://www.mentalparent.com/

  3. I don’t wear gloves when I clean and I definitely don’t use sunscreen on my hands every day. Also, I didn’t know filing the side of our nails makes them weak – interesting. I had to google driving gloves, never heard of them. Overall, thanks for the great tips.

  4. My skin has changed dramatically since throwing out every toxic filled lotion and switching to almond oil and coconut oil. After my first baby my hands were a mess from washing so much. An nail tech told me my skin need oil and to stop using lotion. Was the best beauty advice I ever received!

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