Tips for Taking Care of Our Hands

The best advice I give to my patients is before you notice a problem, begin treatment and prevention, and seek help before a small problem becomes a big problem.

Hand care routine to avoid aging hands:                                                                                       

1. First, use sunscreen! Daily sun exposure can lead to brown sun spots, wrinkles and thin skin. UV radiation causes 80% of skin changes linked with aging so make sure and reapply frequently.
• Colorscience Sunforgettable is a brush-on powder sunscreen that contains zinc and titanium, and is easy to use on-the-go without the greasy mess.
2. Seek out the best hand cream for aging hands. Look for a hand cream that contains ceramides. Ceramides are molecules that help form a protective layer and retain moisture. 
• EltaMD So Silky Hand Cream is a good hand cream I recommend. 
3. Use your face antiaging cream on your hands too.
•  Alpha glycolic acid, Retin-A and growth factors are my favorite.
4. Avoid over washing your hands. Daily habits like frequent hand washing, doing the dishes, yard work, cleaning with chemicals, and forgetting to apply hand cream can extremely dry out and damage your hands. Wear gloves when you can to avoid the wear and tear. 
5. Go the extra mile: If you live in a dry climate, such as Arizona, taking an extra step of applying a luxuriously hydrating hand cream to the front and back of hand at night can be very beneficial. In addition you use spa gloves once a week for an hour or use paraffin wax hand bath.

Age Spots:

• Many adults develop age spots on their hands which tend to gradually grow in size with age and sun exposure.
• Treatment: A board-certified dermatologist can effectively lighten or remove age spots on your hands using:
• Cryotherapy 
• Laser therapy
• Chemical peeling
• Microdermabrasion
• Skin-lightening creams (longest to deliver results, but less costly)

Rough, scaly patches (AKs): 

• Those with fair skin and had frequent sun exposure without sun protection, may notice rough patches on the skin and frequently are found on the hands. 
• These rough patches may be actinic keratosis (AKs), which are precancerous growths and usually develop on fair-skinned individuals who are 40 years of age or older. AKs can also develop earlier if you frequently use tanning beds or live in a state that gets lots of sunshine.
• Treatment: Depends on several considerations i.e. how many, where, appearance, history of skin cancer, medical conditions, etc. 
• Cryotherapy
• Chemical peeling
• Curettage
• Photodynamic therapy 
• Laser resurfacing 
• Prescription creams 

Loss of youthful fullness: 

• When skin becomes lax and develops a crepe-paper-like texture. 
• Treatment: Dermatologists may suggest:
• Filler: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved one filler, calcium hydroxyapatite. The results are immediate and last 6 months to 1 year.
• Other fillers are also used.
• The use of fat from another part of your body can often time be the most effective option for some.

Visible Veins: 

• Getting filler or fat transfer helps restore youthful fullness, but some veins are too big to hide. If a large vein bothers you, a dermatologist can treat it safely.
• Treatment: 
• Laser treatment where a dermatologist inserts a laser fiber into the vein and then fires the laser, which destroys the vein, and causing it to gradually disappear.
• Sclerotherapy is where the dermatologist injects a substance into the vein to destroy it, causing the vein to gradually disappear as well. 

Wrinkly Skin: 

• Applying sunscreen to your hands every day can prevent wrinkly skin. 
• Treatment: A dermatologist may recommend the following:
• Lotion that contains a retinol or glycolic acid (apply before bedtime)
• Light chemical peel, every 1 to 3 months (suggested to use the recommended lotion as well)
• Laser treatment (can also help diminish age spots)

Loose Skin: 

• With age, the skin loses collagen and elastin, which keep our skin firm and plump.
• Treatment: Radiofrequency, a treatment that uses heat which goes deep into the skin and tightens loose skin. One treatment is usually needed on the hands. 

Rough Skin: 

• With age our skin holds less water and becomes drier, causing your skin to feel rough.
• Treatment: A mild chemical peel can help smooth rough skin. To maintain the results, apply moisturizer daily. 

Brittle Nails: 

• It is more likely to have brittle nails if you are a female over 60, but about 20% of individuals have brittle nails. 
• Signs of brittle nails include lines running lengthwise (ridges) and/or your nails break easily. 
• Treatment: Limit things that could be causing it, i.e. a lot of water and/or harsh chemical exposure without wearing protective gloves.
• Rehydrate your nails, cuticles, and the surrounding skin using a dermatologist recommended moisturizer, such as urea cream or mineral oil. 
• When applying the moisturizer at bedtime wear a light cotton glove, which helps the skin to absorb the moisturizer.
• Some individuals may require more help than the suggestions above, such as using special nail enamel.