Hand rejuvination restores youthful appearance

It amazes me how much time and money women spend on their faces to look younger but then forget to treat the rest of their skin. We spend hours exfoliating, moisturizing, applying sunscreens, and injecting fillers like Sculptra and Artefill to our faces.

But when it comes to hands, some of us have been missing the boat. And nothing shows your age like your hands. Run your fingers through your hair, hold your glass up for a toast...unless you are wearing gloves 24 hours a day, your hands will get noticed!

Beauty experts will tell you that you should treat your hands with as much TLC as you do your face. It's an essential step in maintaining your youthful appearance.

There are all kinds of procedures popping up now to help rejuvenate your hands: injections, laser treatments, chemical peels and so on.  The Jasin Facial Rejuvenation Institute in Tampa offers a procedure where Radiesse is mixed with a small amount of local anesthetic to quickly, painlessly (they claim) and naturally restore volume to the hands.  The Safety Harbor Resort & Spa also offers IPL treatments and fillers like Radiesse.

If you aren't ready to go high-tech, why not try some over-the-counter products made specifically for the hands, here is a list of a few we tried:

• StiVectin Specialized Hand Care System. This is a two-step revitalizing system for the hands. Step one consists of a NanoExfoliant with a thermo-active formula specifically developed for the hands to help with cellular turnover. Step two is a hand cream that helps restore the appearance of youthful texture, tone and firmness with UVA and UVB protection. $55 at Amazon.com.
• DDF Discoloration Reversal POD.  A targeted treatment for discoloration and age spots containing Scavenol, an antioxidant system and Vitamin E to help fight free radicals. The result is immediately improved radiance and gives maximum results in six weeks. Best of all, it is in a unit-dose applicator so you can put it just where you want it (like on the back of your hands) and you won't end up with it on your fingertips or palms. $70 at Sephora.com
• Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Thermofoliant.  Thermal technology activates upon contact with water to facilitate absorption of nutrients and active ingredients into the skin and gently polishes off dulling skin cells to reveal smoother, fresher skin. $48 at Dermalogica.com.
• Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Resurfacing Cleanser.  A dual-action exfoliating cleanser containing Lactic Acid to exfoliate surfaces cells, Vitamin E to condition and enhance skin softness, and soothing Rose Flower Oil to calm skin sensitivity. $33.50 at Demalogica.com.

Here are 5 simple tips you can do right now to keep your hands looking young and vibrant:

1. Apply a moisturizer with sunscreen in the morning, and every time you wash your hands. Keep some in your car as you get plenty of sun through the windshield.

2. Wear rubber gloves when you do the dishes, sturdy cotton or leather gloves for yard work or other chores. They will keep your hands from getting bumped and bruised.

3. Massage in cuticle oil after bathing, swimming, or in cold weather to keep cuticles from splitting.

4. Exfoliate skin on the back of the hands twice a week with a scrub (the same one you use on your face will work just fine). It will remove the dull, dry skin and let your moisturizer penetrate better, giving you softer, smoother hands.

5. Keep nails well groomed with a weekly manicure, at home or at the salon. A shorter nail in a light-colored polish is the most youthful in appearance. If you are a smoker, choose a slightly darker color to keep nails from looking yellow.