Our bodies go through many changes as we age, and this includes our hands as well. You’ll see visible signs of aging, and this occurs faster on your face and hands. This is because the hands (on the backs) and face is thinner.
According to Gregory Buford, M.D., a plastic surgeon in Colorado, “There is very little fat on the backs of the hands, so when even a small amount of collagen or elastin fibers begins to break down — which is part of the normal aging process and partly from sun exposure — it’s going to have a noticeable impact on your hands.” This results in crepey skin and wrinkles and fine lines.
You can’t prevent aging. With time, the skin loses its elasticity and suppleness. Its ability to snap back into place diminishes, and as wrinkles form, the skin starts to sag and look dull. While you can’t stop the aging process, you can help slow it down. Let’s look at some of the things you can do:
Sun Protection
Being out in the sun all the time can lead to brown spots, irregular pigmentation, and wrinkles. With the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, collagen and elastin fibers in your skin break down. In fact, approximately 80% of skin aging is from UV exposure. Avoid being out in th sun for an extended period of time. Use a good quality sunscreen that has a higher SPF rating. Use this on your hands as well, and try to wear full sleeves or sun-protective gloves to safeguard your hands. “Depending on how much sun exposure you had as a child and young adult, aging also brings out brown spots, known as liver spots — pigmentation problems that give away your age,” says dermatologist David Goldberg, MD, director of Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey.
Hydration
When your body is starved for water, the skin dries out and shrivels. You need to keep hydrated to keep each and every cell and tissues refreshed. In addition to flushing toxins from your body, aiding digestion and regulating body temperature, water also keeps your skin healthy and hydrated from the inside. Dehydrated skin can lead to wrinkles, fine lines and crepey skin.
Moisturizing
When your skin is dry, cracks form on the surface. This is exacerbated by dehydration. A good quality hand cream and moisturizer that contain glycerin andalpha-hydroxy acids. these ingredients are very beneficial because they work to attract moisture from the air to your skin.
Exfoliate
As you get older, the skin’s natural exfoliation process slows down, resulting in the build up of dead skin cells. If your hands regularly feel dry and rough, exfoliating several times per week should improve their condition relatively quickly. If you have oilier skin you will probably need to exfoliate less often. People with dry skin may find daily exfoliation helpful.
Treatments
There are many great products available to help with wrinkles, fine lines and crepey skin on your hands. Of these, SilcSkin’s Hand & Body Treatment is a proven moisturizing cream containing medical-grade silicone that can reduce the appearance of crepey skin and wrinkles by super-hydrating the skin. Just apply a pearl size drop onto the top your hands and rub gently until the creme is absorbed into the skin. Use it at night just before going to be so that the creme will have the necessary time to do its work.