Your hands take a lot of abuse every day, and they show the results over time. Whether it’s spending a lot of time in water or dirt, or exposing them to extreme temperatures, your hands often begin to look older than they should just from a life well-lived. Along with the decolletage, the hands are often the body part that shows signs of aging first.
If you don’t want your hands to reveal the truth about your age, consider available treatments for aging hands to help you look and feel younger.
What Makes Your Hands Look Older?
Your hands can look older for several reasons. First, age spots develop on hands over time, and they continue to increase in size, especially if you spend a lot of time in the sun. You may also notice rough patches that feel scaly on the backs of your hands. These patches develop from too much sun exposure and may be actinic keratoses (AKs), which are actually precancerous. Any time you have these patches on your skin, you should have it checked out by a doctor.
One of the most obvious signs of aging on your hands is the crepe, paper-like texture. The skin becomes thinner and veins are more noticeable. You may also get wrinkles here even before noticing them on your face. At the same time, the skin becomes looser and loses its firmness and the texture feels rough like sandpaper. Often, this is either caused by or made worse from dry skin because it doesn’t hold water as well as when you were younger.
Can You Prevent Aging Hands?
Even though you can’t stop the natural aging process, you can prevent your hands from looking older than they should. Prevention starts in the early 20s, but you can develop positive habits anytime to slow the aging process.
One of the most important things to do to protect your hands is to use moisturizer on a regular basis. You may need to use more during the winter or times of low humidity. Put it on often, such as every time you wash your hands.
Wear gloves when washing dishes or working in the garden. You should also wear gloves when handling any harsh chemicals that can damage the skin. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on your hands anytime you apply it to your face. You’ll need to reapply it after having your hands in water, such as when swimming.
Another part of hand care, which is similar to face care, is exfoliation. You should exfoliate your hands on a regular basis, paying extra attention to the palms and knuckles. Develop a regular routine as part of the process of anti-aging for hands.
What to Do for Aging Hands
Fortunately, there is hope if the damage has already been done to your hands. Start immediately with good habits, especially moisturizing. You can reduce the appearance of age spots with topical creams, some of which may be prescription products that contain retinol.
Hands that have lost their fullness and become thin and bony may benefit fromfillers. Treatment for aging hands may consist of a product likeJuvederm®. Injectable fillers plump up the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and leaving the area smooth. While you may think of dermal fillers for the face, some of the same products can be used on your hands as well.
Fillers for the hands need to be thicker than for the face because there’s more area to cover. However, the results often last longer than with the face because the hand doesn’t have as many muscles to break down the product. Some fillers may also stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin, two natural hormones in the body that help keep skin firm and young-looking.
Care for Your Aging Hands
Dr. Leo Lapuerta has been providing care for patients to help them look younger and feel more confident about their appearance for more than 20 years.Contact us today to find out Dr. Lapuerta and the Look Younger team can take years off your age with the right hand rejuvenation treatments.