Want to Fake Your Age? Take Care of Your Hands
THINK: Don't let aging hands betray a youthful face.
WHAT IT IS: A smart way to beat the aging process. When it comes to skin aging, women are concerned about their face first, and their hands second. Unfortunately, no matter how wrinkle-free the face, aging hands are a dead giveaway—an undeniable sign of a woman's true age.
I've seen it happen a million times: my patients' "a-ha" moments arrive in their early 40's when sun spots suddenly emerge. Women who have never noticed their hands before find themselves with bulging veins and dark spots that age them twenty years. Women are especially sensitive about their hands, because they can't hide them.. Spring, summer, fall and winter, they're exposed. Not only is this UV exposure a source of the problem, it's a cause of continuing frustration—you can only wear gloves a few months out of the year.
The good news is that the latest products have been developed to not only treat but also prevent the signs of skin aging. Retinol, the anti-aging superhero, will increase skin's natural collagen production, increase cellular turnover, thicken and plump the skin, and lighten age spots.. If you're going to do one nice thing for your skin, treat it with a product that contains a high concentration of retinol.
Research conducted by the Obagi Skin Health Institute revealed the following startling facts:
1. Hands generally are not pampered with moisturizers or anti-aging treatment products
2. Only a very small percentage of the population makes it a practice to apply a sunscreen to the backs of their hands
3. People pamper their faces and/or invest in plastic, cosmetic surgery or injections for their face, leaving their faces looking younger and their hands looking older
4. The skin on the hands thins at a faster rate than facial skin as we age
Causes of Skin Aging on the Hands
UV exposure causes at least 90% of the wrinkles, lines and age/sun spots on hands. That's why the sun-exposed areas, including the backs of the hands, are highly susceptible to damage. Generally, the hands and the face are the only body parts that are constantly exposed to UV rays and environmental damage. Hands are especially vulnerable to UV damage while driving in the car, a problem compounded by the fact that women are not conscious of the ever-present risk and damage. Although UVB rays (which cause burning) do not penetrate the windshield, UVA rays (which cause skin aging) reach the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. When melanocytes are damaged, age spots begin to form.
The hands, unlike most of the body, have very little fat layer, which normally plumps the skin. In the absence of this fat, the veins become much more prominent. When women undergo elective or cosmetic surgery to look and feel younger, their complexions often don't match their naturally aged hands—which can't easily be lifted, tucked, or Botoxed.
Visit my company on the web to learn more: http://www.zoskinhealth.com
WHAT IT IS: A smart way to beat the aging process. When it comes to skin aging, women are concerned about their face first, and their hands second. Unfortunately, no matter how wrinkle-free the face, aging hands are a dead giveaway—an undeniable sign of a woman's true age.
I've seen it happen a million times: my patients' "a-ha" moments arrive in their early 40's when sun spots suddenly emerge. Women who have never noticed their hands before find themselves with bulging veins and dark spots that age them twenty years. Women are especially sensitive about their hands, because they can't hide them.. Spring, summer, fall and winter, they're exposed. Not only is this UV exposure a source of the problem, it's a cause of continuing frustration—you can only wear gloves a few months out of the year.
The good news is that the latest products have been developed to not only treat but also prevent the signs of skin aging. Retinol, the anti-aging superhero, will increase skin's natural collagen production, increase cellular turnover, thicken and plump the skin, and lighten age spots.. If you're going to do one nice thing for your skin, treat it with a product that contains a high concentration of retinol.
Research conducted by the Obagi Skin Health Institute revealed the following startling facts:
- 41% of women felt that their hands were the first part of the body to reveal their age.
- 66% of women felt that hands make them look older than they really are (only 9% said that their hands make them look younger).
- 26% of women said that their hands make them look 5-10 years older.
- Most women can't be specific about what bothers them most about their hands—they don't know where to start. Age spots, lines and wrinkles, prominent veins, lack of elasticity, bony fingers are all concerns.
- The #1 problem is age spots (a.k.a. sun spots), followed by prominent veins.
- Skin aging on the face begins at age 30, for the hands, it hits hard at age 45.
1. Hands generally are not pampered with moisturizers or anti-aging treatment products
2. Only a very small percentage of the population makes it a practice to apply a sunscreen to the backs of their hands
3. People pamper their faces and/or invest in plastic, cosmetic surgery or injections for their face, leaving their faces looking younger and their hands looking older
4. The skin on the hands thins at a faster rate than facial skin as we age
Causes of Skin Aging on the Hands
UV exposure causes at least 90% of the wrinkles, lines and age/sun spots on hands. That's why the sun-exposed areas, including the backs of the hands, are highly susceptible to damage. Generally, the hands and the face are the only body parts that are constantly exposed to UV rays and environmental damage. Hands are especially vulnerable to UV damage while driving in the car, a problem compounded by the fact that women are not conscious of the ever-present risk and damage. Although UVB rays (which cause burning) do not penetrate the windshield, UVA rays (which cause skin aging) reach the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. When melanocytes are damaged, age spots begin to form.
The hands, unlike most of the body, have very little fat layer, which normally plumps the skin. In the absence of this fat, the veins become much more prominent. When women undergo elective or cosmetic surgery to look and feel younger, their complexions often don't match their naturally aged hands—which can't easily be lifted, tucked, or Botoxed.
Visit my company on the web to learn more: http://www.zoskinhealth.com