Keep Ageing Hands at Bay
As we head into what is expected to be a scorching summer, you may feel that winter has left your skin, especially your hands, drier than ever. This is the perfect time to treat yourself to an ultra-soothing spa treatment at the tranquil Granny Mouse Country House & Spa.
The spa is open every day, however if you are unable to treat yourself just yet, here are some helpful tips to counter the effects of winter and ageing, thanks to Granny Mouse Spa team.
We have no doubt that you work hard to keep your skin healthy and happy by daily moisturizing, applying sunscreen and wearing wide-brimmed hats when you’re outside. But your hands need protection and care, too.
Signs of aging on your hand
Ever wonder what causes aging hands? The answer is found in the way your body changes as a whole over time. But you can intervene in how it happens.
Dry, scaly skin, brittle, discoloured nails and dark age spots can become problems as people get older. And you may have noticed wrinkly hands. As you age, your hands lose fat and elasticity and your skin loses volume, becomes thinner. This reduced volume and decreased elasticity produces translucent skin that wrinkles and develops age spots.
Age spots, also called liver spots or solar lentigines, happen after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and can be various shades of brown or black. They appear on areas most exposed to the sun, when melanin is abundant because of sun exposure. You can get them at any age, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors or use tanning beds (which are never recommended).
We expose our hands to the sun and other noxious elements more than any other part of the body. And, because hands do so much, they get washed more throughout the day. Frequent washing in hot water removes the natural oils that lubricate your skin and protect against dry and cracked surfaces.
What will keep my hands looking young?
The good news is there are many ways to prevent and fight signs of aging on your hands.
Moisturise. Don’t let your hands get dried out. Make a habit of putting on lotion regularly during the day and after you wash your hands. Stock up and keep a bottle of moisturiser on the sink so you never forget an application.
Protect your skin and nails. Wear cotton-lined gloves when gardening or when cleaning with harsh soap or chemicals. Use a mild pH soap to wash your hands. Look for mild or ultra-mild versions.
Exfoliate. When you’re exfoliating your body or face, don’t forget about your hands. Use a gentle loofah or a mixture of sugar, lemon and natural oil to remove the dead skin and dead skin cells off the tops of your palm and your fingers and knuckles. Don’t forget to moisturise immediately after.
Wear sunscreen. A broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or higher will go a long way to prevent age spots and hand wrinkles. Protecting your hands from UV rays can also keep your hands from looking bony and shrivelled as you age. And don’t forget that when you’re driving, UV rays come through your windows.
Eat a healthy diet. A balanced diet with plenty of vitamins, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can nourish your skin and help grow healthy nails. If your diet is low in certain proteins, vitamin C or vitamin B complex, or if you have poor absorption, your nails can become brittle and peel or flake easily. You can also get yourself a good multivitamin.
Anti-ageing hand treatments
So, what should you do if you’ve noticed that your hands are looking older than you’d like?
Correct age spots at home. You can treat age spots at home with lemon juice or an over-the-counter topical bleach treatment. And age spots can be improved with over-the-counter or prescription topical creams containing retinol or retinoic acid.
Remove outer layers of skin. You can schedule periodic treatments to remove the outer layer of skin. These include dermaplaning, dermabrasion, chemical exfoliation and laser resurfacing. These treatments help improve the texture and tone of your skin. They also help reduce wrinkles and correct uneven or irregular pigmentation.
Just as important as what you can do to deter signs of aging? What NOT to do.
Don’t smoke. Smoking is not only bad for your insides, but it ages you on the outside as well. Smoking leads to ‘cigarette skin,’ which is dull, grey, pale and crinkly.
Don’t use Botox®. In terms of treatments, neurotoxins like Botox are of no value because they inhibit muscle movement but have no effect on volume loss.
Don’t have skin removal surgery. Surgery to remove excess skin on the back of the hands carries more risks than benefits. It’s not advisable because of scarring and the risk of poor healing.
And when you’re looking for anti-ageing hand treatments to use at home, there are two kinds of products to use to help heal your skin.
The first are humectants, ingredients like hyaluronic acid that help bind water into your skin to hydrate it. Second, there are products containing lipids or fats that are the emollients that improve the barrier function of your skin, helping to keep all unwanted nasties out. Both are important now more than ever for the health and beauty of your skin and especially your hands.
If you’d like Granny Mouse to give you a 'helping hand’, email reservations@grannymouse.co.za
Article Courtesy of www.sanda-marketing.com
