We spend so much time lavishing care and attention on our faces that many of us overlook the fact that actually, our hands are often where we most rapidly show our age. It makes sense, if you think about it. For starters – the skin on our hands is naturally thinner than on other parts of our bodies. Plus, they work pretty hard and come into contact with a lot more ‘stuff’ than our faces do. Okay, maybe some of that stuff doesn’t bear thinking about. But even when we’re trying to offset the grossness of that with, say, constant washing or hand sanitiser, we’re also drying out out our derma. And then there’s constant exposure to the elements – ‘fess up if you religiously apply SPF to your face but never or rarely to your hands? And a double “monkey with hands over his eyes” emoji for those who wouldn’t dream of having chipped polish, but limit their hand-care efforts to their nails…?
With hands, as with many things where ageing is concerned, prevention is better than the cure – which is why you should start slathering SPF onto the backs of your hands in your 20s, as well as moisturising them overnight and after each moisture-stripping wash. But even if your 20s are a rapidly fading memory, it’s not too late to undo the years and get your hands looking as youthful as you’ve managed to keep your face …
Skin Peel
Possibly you’ve already experienced the positive effects of a facial chemical peel – but guess what? They’re just as beneficial for your face. Treating fine lines, sun damage, uneven pigmentation and skin tone, The Private Clinic of Harley Street (don’t be discouraged by the name- there are clinics all over the UK) provides two types of peel, one of which offers deeper penetration than the other, depending on your skin’s condition. Plan to have this treatment when your hands won’t have to be on show for a bit, as they can look reddish or slightly swollen for a few days afterwards. Best results are achieved after 1-2 treatments, but once the appearance of scars, lines and wrinkles has been improved, these results are permanent – provided you look after your skin and do all those things you should have done in your 20s … Prices start from £75.
Baby Skin Mesotherapy
They say that Madonna has had managed to prevent her hands from looking crone-like with regular mesotherapy sessions, but it’s also a procedure that French women allegedly swear by, which is possibly an even greater inducement. These tiny injections, which you can experience at Vitamin Injections London, send hyaluronic acid – essential to elasticity, moisture and youthfulness – right where it’s needed, to plump the skin (minimising the prominence of veins) and boost collagen production. Your skin may be pinkish immediately afterwards, and a couple of repeat procedures spaced one to two weeks apart are advised – but after that, you’ll only need to pop back every six-nine months to keep the results looking great … Prices start from £175.
Botox
It’s been dubbed the ‘Hollywood hand job” but ewwww – ignore that. The fact is that Botox is not only widely used on hands to minimise sweating, but it can also help to improve their appearance – just as it can on your face. It minimises wrinkles, can be done in your lunch break (the process takes a mere 15-20 minutes), is widely used and only needs to be topped up every few months. This type of hand rejuvenation, which can be supplemented by filers to ‘flesh out’ bony, veiny, wrinkled hands is offered at Clinicbe and involves little to no downtime … Prices start from £275.
More than a manicure
Now that you’re switched on to the extent that you need to nurture and nourish those mitts, a bog-standard manicure will just never quite do again. Head instead to Edward James and experience an Energy Boost Hand Manicure for 60 minutes of hand-focussed pampering, which includes soaking the hands in a Aveda essential-oils-infused bath, followed by nail shaping and cuticle work. Next up – a gentle bamboo extract scrub, to energise the skin and leave a radiant glow. Get ready to swoon with a pressure point hand massage, concentrating on correcting the body’s natural balance of energy, followed by a luxurious, illuminating masque, which soothes the skin and increases its natural moisture level. And then for the polish. For best results, repeat every 4 weeks … Prices start from £53.
