Aging Hands

What do you notice as you age?

For me it’s the dreaded, wiry gray hair that seems to have grown 6 inches overnight. The crinkles at the side of my eyes even when I’m not smiling. The sagging (hello jowls), crepey skin and brown spots. There are many ways to treat these issues from visiting your hair stylist to Botox, filler, chemical peels, microneedling and surgical intervention. But do you ever feel like you’ve neglected your hands and now they’re giving away your age? I did, so I jumped into action. Below are some options for both prevention and correction.

1. Start now. Obviously. Even if you already have the brown spots and thinning skin what better time to prevent further aging than right now?
2. Sun protection. The sun is responsible for 85% of our aging. I’m certain you’re already using a daily facial sunscreen (if not come and see me for the perfect one for you), but what about sun protection for your hands? UVA rays penetrate windows and your hands are front and center when driving, or sitting near a window at the office or home. Keep a tube of sunscreen in your car or desk and apply a few drops like you would lotion. Better yet, carry Colorescience’s Brush On Mineral sunscreen. This is perfect for on the go reapplication of sunscreen. Dust it on your hands prior to any UV exposure. Another sun protection option is to wear UV fingerless sun protection gloves. These are made to be worn when driving and come in natural skin tone colors.
3. Use your current products on your hands. Are you using an antioxidant, chemical exfoliant or a retinol/retina product? At bedtime, start using a small amount on your hands and then seal it in with a rich hand moisturizer. I personally have seen brown spots on the back of my hands fade over time by just using my retinol.
4. I have seen great results with chemical peels, microneedling and BBL treatments. Multiple sessions are necessary to achieve the desired result and sun protection is a must with these treatments.

Stay tuned for Dr. Moore’s list of surgical options to treat aging hands in the January newsletter!

Written by Heather Happy, License Esthetician

For more information on any of these options call (615) 771-7718 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.