Stop your HANDS looking OLDER than your FACE Dr
Watching my daughter in a school hockey match recently, it wasn’t the onpitch action that grabbed my attention, but the black chanel fingerless gloves sported by the mum standing next to me.
After noticing my interest, she explained they were to hide scabbing from a hand- rejuvenating laser treatment. Feeling inadequate in both the glove (I wore h&M stretchy lurex) and hands department (mine were red and chapped after morning dog walks) I made a mental note to up my game.
A couple of phone calls later and it is clear I am not alone in feeling selfconscious about my mitts. Dr sebagh’s Wimpole street clinic for anti-ageing ‘tweakments’ reports a 30 per cent rise in clients asking for hand treatments.
The beauty industry is on board too, — there have never been so many products designed to improve the appearance and condition of our hands. In the past month alone five new hand creams have been launched in the UK by major brands, one costing more than £100.
cosmetic doctor Diana Piana-Mariton at Dr sebagh’s London clinic explains: ‘ hands are especially vulnerable to the early signs of ageing as they are exposed to the elements all year round. The three issues we see are age or sun spots, textural changes due to lower collagen and elastin levels, and volume changes from loss of fat.’
Thea Green, founder of nails Inc whose hands are regularly on show on the QVC shopping channel, says it’s all about moisturising.
‘Dryness is the first problem to solve — especially at this time of year with the cold temperatures robbing skin of moisture,’ she says. ‘ Moisturising hands as much as possible, exfoliating and applying a weekly hand mask can make a big difference.
‘Try and use water-based products — look for aqua or water listed first on ingredients lists — which will sink into the skin more quickly. Avoid too thick products as they will just annoy you and you’ll end up wiping them off.’
Sebagh, however, thinks we need more than just moisturisation: ‘hands need to be treated like the face to get them in good shape,’ he says.
This is the theory behind a new skin Laundry dual treatment at Liberty, London — a 20-minute Laser and Light Facial and hands session (£ 85) combining a medical-grade YAG (infra red) and IPL (Intense Pulse Light) laser.
After the face has been worked on it’s the turn of the hands, which are cleansed before the laser is passed over the skin.
The laser uses light energy to break up pigment and help fade sun or age spots, and to stimulate collagen and elastin production to tighten the skin on the back of your hands.
It’s not painful, and just feels like a fine elastic band flicking your skin. I was sceptical as to what could be achieved in such a short time, but after one treatment there was a definite improvement. My knuckles were less red and wrinkly, and the skin on the back of my hands felt the smoothest it’s felt in years. The skin looked plumpedup, less crepey and had a lovely sheen.
They looked like glamorous, hands that didn’t go near a kitchen sink. And the effect lasted ten days. Age spots will definitely not improve after one session — at least three or four would be needed for this.
but it’s a great one- off transformative treatment for chapped, winter skin. I splashed out on a celebratory shellac manicure for maximum impact at the next hockey game.
ANTI-AGERS TO TRY FOR A WEEKLY TREATMENT
Nails Inc Thirsty Hands Super Hydrating Hand Mask, £8, nailsinc.com This super quenching hand mask includes high levels of Vitamin e and shea butter to drench skin with moisture. For best results, exfoliate the skin on your hands before applying.
FOR SMOOTHER SKIN
Ameliorate Intensive Hand Treatment, £15, ameliorate.com THIS AHA formula with lactic acid works its magic on rough, chapped skin. Use as a night treatment — and apply an SPF during the day as AHAS (Alpha hydroxy Acids) increase the e skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
FOR SUN PROTECTION
Medik 8 Hand and Nail Cream, £25, medik8.com The perfect handbag staple. le. broad spectrum sPF25 UVA VA and UVB protection prevents further damage, while high levels of hyaluronic acid sink straight into parched dry hands to plump them up. Water-based and nongreasy, it means you can get on with whatever you’re doing straight after application.
FOR SERIOUS HYDRATION
Dr Sebagh High Maintenance Hand Cream, £35,
d drsebagh.com THIS silky formula is instantly absorbed and can be used throughout the day as many ti times as you wish. A terrific hy hydrator, the skin has a beautiful fu sheen after applying. F For added lightening and skin br brightening benefits (and fading in age spots) Dr sebagh en encourages his clients to use th this with his Pure Vitamin c POA Powder cream (£19). And once a day, just mix a little tle of the vitamin c powder with the cream before applying to your hands.
FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Hands, £4.87, Boots A Non-oily, non-sticky and fast -absorbing cream that smoothes the skin and sinks in fast.
It’s excellent for soothing redness and is good for those with sensitive skin — and acts as a barrier cream, too.
FOR BRIGHTENING AND MOISTURE
Goldfaden MD Hands to Heart Anti-aging and Brightening Hand Treatment, £35, spacenk.com This has retinol to fade pigmentation and fine lines, plus glucosamine (normally taken orally) to help increase the skin’s hydration and plump up fine, crepey looking skin on the back of the hands.
To use as a night-time treatment, simply slather on and pop on some cotton gloves.
FOR AGE SPOTS
Beauty Pie Super Retinol AntiAging Hand Treatment, £6.48 Beauty Pie members, (£40 RRP), b beautypie.com More M of a night treatment, m this includes slow releasing re retinol, which reduces re fine lines and fades age ag spots in about four weeks. we Wear an SPF on your yo hands during the day after aft you’ve used it the night nigh before.