When it comes to taking care of their looks, people tend to focus on maintaining a youthful facial appearance, but forget about their hands. We use our hands a lot and they deserve more attention. If you don’t have a hand care regimen, dark spots and textural changes will set in, making your hands age faster than your face. Here are some simple strategies that can help keep your hands looking attractive and youthful:
- Apply moisturizer on your hands after every exposure to water. Use a cream and not a lotion to avoid the drying effect and resultant wrinkling.
- Sun exposure reduces skin thickness, collagen, and elasticity in addition to causing brown spots. Use a sunscreen with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher whenever you go out in the sun. Reapply sunscreen as much as you can and have corrective treatment if damage is already done.
- Nail shapes and shades are constantly changing. Have regular manicures to keep your hands looking trendy, youthful, and attractive.
- Watch out for brittle nails. This is caused by exposure to chemicals or water, weather changes or genetics. Ask your doctor to recommend an appropriate supplement to improve nail strength.
- Yellow nails are a common problem. Rub your nail beds with a lemon wedge to address it as the natural citric acid will lighten the yellowish cast. If the problem persists, see your doctor as it could be the result of a fungal infection or some other medical condition.
- Take care of your cuticles which protect the nail by sealing the area at its base. Don’t cut or remove them as this will destroy their protective function and expose you to the possibility of infection. Massage your cuticles with a cuticle cream or thick, creamy lotion.
Your diet matters for nail health. For stronger, clearer nails, experts recommend adding vitamins and supplements like biotin, Vitamin E, and fish oil to your daily regimen, as well as protein-rich foods.