Premature Skin Aging - Hand Care

Your hands are usually the first place on your body to show signs of age, and they can make you look — gulp — five to 10 years older than you really are …On the other-hand it can make you younger.

These are your hands’ glory days: For the most part, they’re soft, plump, and evenly toned. Your primary concern isn’t so much combating the signs of aging, but preventing them.

Cumulative sun exposure is the biggest cause of premature skin aging — and now’s the time to start protecting yourself. Apply a moisturizer with an SPF of 15 at least twice a day.

If you plan to be in strong sunlight for long periods of time, use a sunscreen that has a UVA-blocking agent in it — either transparent zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 — since UVA rays cause brown spots and wrinkles.

Once a week, lightly slough off the dead skin flakes on your hands with a gentle facial scrub. Removing this flaky, occlusive layer will help your daily moisturizer penetrate your skin more deeply.

Fade minor brown spots or areas of discoloration by applying an over-the-counter lightening cream nightly. Beware: Spots will reappear if you’re not stringent about sunscreen use.