SEXY, BEAUTIFUL HANDS
Your hands are usually the first place on your body to show signs of age....
Your hands are usually the first place on your body to show signs of age, and they can make you look -- gulp -- five to 10 years older than you really are ... But it's not too late to turn back the, er, hands of time.
20s
These are your hands' glory days: For the most part, they're soft, plump, and evenly toned. Your primary concern isn't so much combating the signs of aging, but preventing them. Your secret weapons: (a) moisturizer with SPF, (b) sunscreen with UVA protection, (c) exfoliating scrub, (d) spot treatment
a) Cumulative sun exposure is the biggest cause of premature skin aging -- and now's the time to start protecting yourself. Apply a moisturizer with an SPF of 15 at least twice a day. (Try St. Ives Coenzyme Q10 Hand Renewal Lotion with SPF 15.)
b) If you plan to be in strong sunlight for long periods of time, use a sunscreen that has a UVA-blocking agent in it -- either transparent zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 -- since UVA rays cause brown spots and wrinkles. (Try Cellex-C SPF 30 Sports Cream.)
c) Once a week, lightly slough off the dead skin flakes on your hands with a gentle facial scrub. Removing this flaky, occlusive layer will help your daily moisturizer penetrate your skin more deeply. (Try Aqua Dessa Honey Buff Facial Scrub.)
d) Fade minor brown spots or areas of discoloration by applying an over-the-counter lightening cream nightly. Beware: Spots will reappear if you're not stringent about sunscreen use. (Try Philosophy A Pigment of Your Imagination.)
30s
The biggest change since the last decade? Dryness (due to dropping estrogen levels). The first signs of photoaging (blotchiness, loss of skin tone) could also emerge. Your secret weapons: (a) exfoliating hand cream, (b) sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection, (c) emollient night treatment, (d) spot-treating cocktail.
a) Every morning, apply a moisturizer with a built-in sloughing agent, such as lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid, to keep dead cells from accumulating on the surface of your skin. (Try Jergens Ultra Healing Cream.)
b) After moisturizing, layer on sunscreen -- again, with an SPF of at least 15 and either transparent zinc oxide or Parsol 1789. (If you plan to get prolonged sun exposure, use an SPF of at least 30.)
c) To prevent nighttime moisture loss, rub an emollient serum (such as Zia Natural Skincare Deep Moisture Repair Serum) into the backs of your hands half an hour before bedtime, says Jeanette Graf, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in Great Neck, N.Y.
d) To nix brown spots, apply Lustra, a potent prescription bleaching cream, in the a.m., and Renova, a prescription vitamin A derivative, in the p.m., recommends Leonard Swinyer, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Utah.
40s
Since your skin naturally thins as you age (due to the loss of collagen, a natural skin-plumping substance), veins, sun spots, and wrinkles will become more noticeable. If any spots have changed color or shape, see a dermatologist to make sure they're not precancerous. Your secret weapons: (a) collagen-rebuilding hand cream and sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection, (b) collagen-stimulating night treatment, (c is optional), (c) medical procedures to remove severe wrinkles and spots.
a) Switch to a hand cream containing whey protein -- an ingredient that's been shown to jump-start the production of collagen. (Try Clinique Stop Signs Hand Repair.) What's next? You got it -- a UVA/UVB-blocking sunscreen applied over your moisturizer.
b) Stimulate collagen-producing cells in skin's deeper layers while you're sleeping with a nightly application of a nonprescription retinol cream or (for faster results) Renova. (Try RoC Retinol Actif Pur Anti-Age Hand Treatment SPF 15.)
c) .As a last resort for serious wrinkles and spots, you may consider bringing in the big guns: in-office medical procedures designed to smooth out lines and clear up discolorations. Chemical peels and microdermabrasion both strip away the top layer of skin to reveal a newer, less-lined layer. Eight peel sessions ($100 to $200 each, depending on where you live) or six to 12 microdermabrasion sessions ($50 to $150 each) will keep wrinkles at bay for one to three years. Doctors can also inject fat from your butt or belly into the backs of your hands to fill them out, says New York City dermatologist Ron Shelton, M.D. One to three treatments ($1,000 to $1,200 each) can yield results for up to three years.
d) A pigment-targeting laser (many experts recommend the ruby laser) is the safest and most effective way to eradicate stubborn brown spots. You'll need two to three treatments (around $300 each) to see results, which last from six months to five years.
|
|
