This year I’ll turn 45. That doesn’t worry me since I’m far healthier than anyone in my family was at my age. My great grandmother died at 73, my grandmother at 63, and my mother at 53. Since I made it past 43, I feel I’ve broken the family curse of each woman dying a decade earlier than the one before. Through exercise, stress reduction, staying busy, and eating as healthy as I can, as often as I can, I have hopes to live longer and look younger than anyone in my family ever has.
I’ve been mildly OCD about my face, being sure to take proper care of my skin to avoid wrinkles as long as possible. So far I feel I’m keeping the hands of time at bay. Not many people believe I’ll be 45 this year. At some point I may start looking into Botox, but for now my home routine is working well.
But, last month, as I was getting dressed I happened to look down at my blouse sleeve just as my hand made its appearance. Imagine my shock when I saw my mother’s hand came out.
Not many of us think about anti-aging when it comes to our hands, yet I had to face facts: My hands looked old and weathered. Although I use lotion religiously, even on my hands, I never wore sunscreen. What a mistake that was. I have some wrinkles and age spots on the backs of each hand. In addition, my nails need some work too. As we age our fingernails tend to get thicker and more ridged.
Now I wear sunblock on my hands (and all exposed areas of my body) when venturing outdoors, and I also take one day each week to exfoliate my hands, buff my nails, and apply a cuticle cream.
If you find that your current hand care routine isn’t quite working, there are other ways to achieve youthful hands. For stubborn age spots, which are really just like big freckles due to sun exposure, you can ask a medical day spa or dermatologist for a lotion that may help to fade these spots over time. These lotions usually contain retinol or alpha-hydroxy-acid which can help skin look younger. Laser treatment is another alternative to removing age spots, and works faster than topical lotions with the added benefit of removing wrinkles at the same time.
While I’m not obsessed with my looks, I do want to remain healthy and vibrant. I’ve learned that taking care of my hands is another way I can look younger and feel better in the process.