One of the first casualties of ageing is one of the most important and definitely the most hard-working part of our body…our hands. It is often said that to know someone’s real age, you should look at their hands! Because your hands are right out there for public view, it is even more important to care for them. Dr. Geetika Mittal Gupta, Medical Director, ISAAC shares some important tips for women over 30 to keep your handy helpers in great shape.
Protect your hands from the daily sun damage. Use a good sun block of at least 30 SPF while stepping out in the sun. It helps prevent sun spots and premature wrinkles.
Moisturize every night use a Vitamin E or C based moisturizer and massage well through your fingers and cuticles. It will leave your hands miraculously baby soft next morning. You can also use pure almond oil mixed with honey as a luxurious home-made treat. Stop smoking if you do. It reflects on your hands as well. Have a good balanced diet rich in anti oxidants to combat signs of ageing. CoQ10 and reservetrol is available in various pharmacies and can be supplemented daily. Hydrate!  Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.
Exfoliate; it’s a very important part of the skin care routine. Use a home-made oatmeal scrub 2-3 times in a week and visit your dermatologist for chemical exfoliation once in a month. It removes the dead skin layer, makes the skin look fresher by removing early signs of ageing as well.
Try using rubber gloves while doing house work like washing, cleaning, and gardening. Detergents disturb the ph balance of the skin, and irritate it. To restore the ph balance, rinse your hands with vinegar mixed in water.
To pamper your hands and remove the tan, use a home-made pack once a week; mix tomato juice with some lemon juice and honey or glycerin. Leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse off.
Get a professional manicure every month. Make sure you check the hygiene of the salon and the therapist taking care of you. Use a good quality base coat before application of nail varnish.
To get healthy long nails, take a diet enriched in protein and biotin.
Hyper pigmentation around the knuckles and nails can often be due to vitamin B12 deficiency. Get a blood test done and supplement accordingly. If the nail plate shows some discoloration or deformity, consult a dermatologist immediately. Many times, fat is lost from the hands faster than other body parts making the hands look skinnier. Talk to your doctor about hyaluronic acid based fillers which plump up and hydrate the skin naturally and gives long lasting results.