Did you know that one of the first places to show a woman's age is her hands? We take care of our face and neck, we may even take care of the décolleté...but our hands are a forgotten appendage. Are your hands rough, cracked and dry with ragged cuticles and brittle nails? Or are they soft and smooth to the touch? If you want to keep everyone guessing about your age, take care of your hands!

Tips For Younger Looking Hands

• Cover your hands with a sunscreen of at least SPF15. Keep a little tube of sunscreen in the glove compartment.
• Massage your cuticles with hand cream while watching TV or reading a book.
• Moisturize your cuticles each night before going to bed. For severely dry hands, apply extra moisturizer to your hands and wear cotton gloves to bed; you'll wake up to soft hands the next day!
• Apply moisturizer and wear rubber gloves lined with cotton. Soften your hands while you work!
• Wear sun protective gloves while driving or playing sports. Some provide full coverage over the wrist.
• Use a pH balanced hand soap. Harsh soaps strip the natural hydro-lipid film (acid mantle) from the skin leaving your skin vulnerable to the drying, aging effects of the environment.

• Get into the habit of exfoliating your hands as you exfoliate your face. Use a gentle exfoliant 2-3 times a week.
• Wear protective gloves when working in your garden or yard.
• After washing your hands, while they are still moist, apply your favorite hand moisturizer.
• Wear gloves in cold, windy weather.
• Don't forget your fish oil supplement - it's great for your skin and hair.
• Alpha Hydroxy Acid treatments are available over the counter and are gentle to the skin. AHA may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun, so be sure to use a sunscreen.

There are also cosmetic procedures to repair past damage and improve the look of your hands. Be sure to discuss all options with a certified esthetician, dermatologist, or cosmetic physician to decide if one of these procedures might benefit you. These procedures are effective but can be expensive, so be sure to follow any procedure with our list of tips to prevent or slow down the signs of aging in your hands

• Laser resurfacing:This procedure is performed by a plastic surgeon or dermatologist using a wand like device. Your wrinkles will be less noticeable and any brown 'age' spots removed.
• Microdermabrasion exfoliation: This is a non invasive procedure that uses a dermabrasion machine that rubs over your skin many times with tiny grains, and can be performed by a trained esthetician. The top layer of the skin is removed eliminating the dead surface cells and exposing healthy new cells.
• Restylane is a dermal filler comprised of hyaluronic acid (which is naturally occurring in our skin but diminishes with age). Injected under the skin, it will plump and rejuvenate for up to 6 months.
• Chemical Peels: An acid solution is applied to outer layer of the skin to smooth away wrinkles and discolorations. Your dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon can explain which level peel (light to deep) is best for you.