Keeping Your Hands Young

Your hands definitely give away your age. A study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that people could easily distinguish between older and younger women based on photos of their hands. Some of the problems with skin on the hands include:

* Dryness * Spots * Scrawniness

Tricks for age-defying hands

Keep them soft and supple:

* Use hand cream throughout the day * Reapply often, ideally every time you scrub up * The lotion will penetrate even more if you put it on while your hands are still damp

Combat painful chapping:

* Small cuts or cracks in the skin can show up on severely chapped hands * Use skin glue that is used to close surgical wounds on top of cracks to seal the cut

Pick gloves to fit the occasion:

* Cleaning: There are special gloves you can use while scrubbing the dishes that will soften your hands * Warming: Mittens are toastier than gloves, but they make it hard to find your keys without use of fingers. Another good option are water-and wind-resistant gloves that come with a flip-top flap, so they are fingerless when needed but still warm * Weight-lifting: Be sure to wear the right gloves for this activity. The friction from dumbbells and weight machines can cause dryness and calluses

Professional Solutions

There are some very effective anti-aging products or treatments for hands only available through a dermatologist. They are:

* Spot lifters * Photo-rejuvenation * Sculptra * Fat augmentation * Sclerotherapy

The above methods are expensive, but long lasting.

Source: Bender M. Too much time on your hands? (cover story). Health [serial online]. January 2007;21(3):21. Available from: MAS Ultra - School Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed August 6, 2008.

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Your hands definitely give away your age. A study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that people could easily distinguish between older and younger women based on photos of their hands.