Frequently washing hands with hand soap can strip them of natural oils and a layer of ceramide on the epidermis, causing the skin to lose collagen and prematurely age. When someone asks about your age, you're most likely to respond to the question with your age in numbers, meaning how many years it's been since you were born. As the human body grows and fully develops, reaching peak age after 30, it also starts to deteriorate in terms of appearance, function, and health.
This is why people start using anti-aging creams, lotions, and serums. The initial indications of aging aren't always visible on the face. If the skin on the face appears healthy, youthful, and vibrant it could be due to a consistent skincare regime practiced throughout a person's life. Because facial skin care is usually the priority, hands are often neglected revealing a person's true age. There are two types of aging, chronological aging, and biological aging. Let's take a look below at both.
Chronological Aging
The length of time between your birth and the recent date is your chronological age. It refers to your age in years, months, days, and other units. This is the most common method for determining one's age.
Biological Aging
The underlying premise of biological aging is a result of damage to numerous cells and tissues in your body. It's also known as the functional age or the physiological age of the body. It depends upon different factors such as:
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Genetics
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Lifestyle
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Any inherited diseases or other health conditions.
Healthcare providers use these factors as a guideline to determine how healthy a person is.
Signs Of Aging Hands
The skin on the hands is considerably thinner than other parts of the body. Hence, if not taken care of properly, the hands can appear to be cracked and veiny with dry, patchy skin. Let's take a look at some of the indications of aging skin on hands.
Age Spots
These are round dark spots on the surface of your skin. They're often caused by excessive UV exposure. The hands are the most used part of the body and absorb sun rays often.
Age spots can be prevented by reducing exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) and by regularly applying sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that has a minimum SPF of 30 in it. A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects from both UVA and UVB rays. Apply sunscreen at noon if you are heading outside, it's the time of day when the sun is brightest and harshest.
Treating age spots isn't impossible. There are several options available for the treatment of blotchy spots, such as microdermabrasion and chemical peeling. These treatments will leave the skin smooth and youthful.
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Dry and Scaly Skin
Dry and scaly skin is a common condition as people get older. Skin can become dry for many reasons. Poor nutrition and lack of sleep are two. Also, smoking cigarettes can exacerbate dry skin by robbing it of its essential fluids (cue the crypt keeper hands!). Inadequate water intake and poor blood circulation contribute to the skin on hands looking dry and scaly.
Dry and scaly skin can be prevented by the usage of unscented soaps and by applying hand creams to lock in moisture on the hands.
Treatment for dry, cracked hands depend on the severity of the dryness and cracks on the skin. It's suggested to keep the hands moisturized during the daytime with an oil-free, quality moisturizer. At night, use a heavier moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated overnight. Lactic acid, which acts as an exfoliator to erase dead skin cells may be beneficial to super dry skin.
Wrinkly Skin on Hands
As skin starts to age, it begins to lose elasticity which is present in the collagen in skin. Collagen loss causes wrinkles to develop on the skin.
Loss of collagen in the skin of hands can be slowed down to a certain extent. Smoking can cause excessive collagen loss and also reduces the amount of collagen produced in the long term. Excessive exposure to bright sunlight may also aid in the wrinkly appearance of the hands. Applying sunblock is essential before going out.
Retinol, which is a Vitamin A derivative, can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the face and hands.
Protruding Veins
As we age, our skin becomes thinner due to collagen loss, increasing the visibility of veins beneath the skin's surface. Hands with prominent veins can create an illusion of older skin.
Skin thinning is a natural part of the aging process you can't prevent. However, it's possible to reduce the appearance of protruding veins by adopting healthy habits such as exercise, eating healthy, and quitting smoking.
The only way to hide vein bulges on your hands is by using heavy moisturizers that'll create the effect of plump, healthy-looking hands and youthful skin.
Excessive Handwashing in Covid-19 and Aging
The Covid-19 outbreak has made people wash their hands excessively around the clock to help prevent spreading the virus. Even though getting the Covid-19 vaccine, wearing a mask, and maintaining social distancing are essential to slowing the transmission of the virus, hand washing is still a necessity when it comes to stopping the spread. The World Health Organization recommends washing hands frequently and properly. The WHO also states that excessive hand washing could cause disruptions in the skin texture of the hand and even hand dermatitis.
What Does Excessive Hand Washing Do To The Hands?
Frequent hand washing can cause changes in the skin texture of the hands. Ranging from the onset of cutaneous xerosis (extremely dry skin) to ICD known as Irritant Contact Dermatitis. Chemical, physical, and immunological factors all play a role in skin problems. The factors are as follows:
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Long-term contact with water in a humid environment develops swelling in the skin's outermost layer.
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Wearing gloves for prolonged periods causes hands to sweat excessively.
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Repeated use of hand wash, hand soaps, and detergents cause skin irritation or, in many cases, allergic reactions.
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Frequently using hot water to wash your hands deprives the skin of natural oils and results in dryness.
Excessive Sanitizing Can Cause Dry Skin
As stated by dermatologists, repeated hand washing, even though an effective strategy to prevent sickness, can cause and aggravate dry skin problems. Coronavirus has changed the hand hygiene habits of many people. It's recommended by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that people should scrub their hands, tops and palms, for 20 seconds to stop the germs from spreading.
The frequent use of plain soaps and liquid soaps for handwashing can kill the germs, but it slows the natural production of oils on the skin, which can cause the skin to dry out and crack. In times of Covid-19, a healthcare professional typically washes their hands 100 times a day because they're always in close contact with severe diseases and germs, and often complain of having dry skin on their hands.
Dry skin is very easy to crack. As it cracks, it's then more susceptible to contracting infections, viruses, or any other kind of severe illness. According to dermatologists, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a better alternative than using soap, as it's less likely to irritate the skin.
Anti-Aging Tips for Supple Hands
As previously discussed, the skin on the hands is thin. Like the face, the hands will also benefit from a nourishing daily skincare regime to look young, wrinkle-free, and healthy. As we continue to age, the skin on the backs of the hands becomes thin due to fat and collagen loss, which results in poor elasticity in the skin. Hands are the first to be exposed to dangerous chemicals, more so than other parts of the body. Hence, they get washed the most too. Here are some tips to keep the hands soft and supple.
Choose a Gentle Hand Soap
Bar soap or liquid hand soap is normally used to wash the hands daily. Expert Dermatologists say that frequent handwashing can disrupt the production of natural oils on the skin, which can cause the skin to dry out. Always choose a gentle soap, bar or liquid, for handwashing purposes because gentle soaps are free from harsh chemicals which are damaging to the skin. Even if the skin is irritated, don't stop washing your hands.
Washing your hands is very important; it disinfects and removes bacteria and debris from the skin. In turn, this stops bacteria from entering into the pores of the face when you, inevitably, touch your face. Always remember to dry your hands completely after washing. Damp palms can cause skin chafing.
Use Latex Gloves
The hands are the most used body part (for some, that might come as a shock), and they get exposed to chemicals the most too. Be it dishwashing, washing clothes, or using products containing chemicals when cleaning the house, they are most often exposed. Ever wonder how detergents and cleaning products do an amazing job cleaning clothes, floors, and dishes, but they destroy the skin on your hands? Dishwashing agents have an alkaline nature. If these chemicals can clean the greasy, grimy pots and pans, it's no wonder they cause serious damage the skin. So, it's suggested to use latex gloves before dipping your hands in such chemicals to prevent unwanted damage.
Sun Protection
UV exposure damages the skin and causes wrinkles, age spots, and pigmentation issues. The outer dermis of the skin contains Melanin pigment, which acts as a barrier to protect the skin from ultraviolet ray damage. However, too much sun exposure can penetrate the dermis and hit the deep layers of the skin. This causes destruction underneath the skin which destroys normal skin cells and results in premature aging. Always use a hand cream that has a minimum of SPF 30 in it. For better results, use sunscreen on top of the hand cream. Even when not going out in the sun, hand creams with SPF should be used daily. The sun exposure to your hands while driving or walking to Starbucks is enough to encourage skin aging.
Skincare in Winter
Cold weather always makes the skin dry and rough. The cold air of winter months depletes the skin of natural oils. When these oils aren't present on the surface of the skin to give them natural moisture, the hands become dry, itchy, and inflamed. As the hands are the most used body part, it's always a good idea to invest in a hand care routine to achieve younger, smoother hands, especially in the winter months. Protection from the cold, dry winds of winter is necessary, so keep your hands covered to reduce the damage they can cause. Moisturizers that have ceramides and are emollient-based are best to use in winter.
Moisturization Is the Key
The key to stopping premature aging is moisturizing. Too much exposure to UV light, harsh chemicals, detergents, and harsh soaps can make the hands rough, chapped, and prematurely aged. Moisturizer acts as a protective barrier to the skin. Dermatologists suggest investing in the right moisturizer for your skin type. There are many new formulas in moisturizers that have better effects at restoring the moisture in the skin.
Exfoliation is Important
Just like the face, the hands need to be exfoliated too. Exfoliation should be a part of your overall skincare. It gets rid of dead skin cells from the outermost layers of the skin. There's no need to buy expensive scrubs and exfoliators; you can make an organic scrub for your hands and body at home with simple ingredients like coffee grounds, sugar, sea salt, and an oil base of your choice.
Cuticle Nourishment
Cuticles reveal whether the nails are healthy, dry, or dead. Healthy cuticles indicate healthy nails. While you care for your hands, it's important to keep your cuticles nourished as well. Apply cuticle oil at night and rub it gently into the skin. Dry cuticles are more susceptible to chapped skin, which might cause cuts in the skin of the nail bed and lead to severe infection.
Ceramides Are Skin’s Best friend
Ceramides are fats or lipids that are naturally present on the skin. They help in the formation of the epidermal barrier, which aids in the retention of moisture by inhibiting water loss. Fortunately, topical moisturizers can help restore your natural skin ceramide level. Always assess the quantity of ceramide in a moisturizer and whether it contains irritating elements like perfumes when shopping for one.
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Eat Right
If you eat right, your skin will show it. If you don't, that will show up on your skin too. When you don't include proper nutrition into your diet, it can cause breakouts and acne. Proteins, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E should all be a part of your daily diet. These vitamins and proteins play an essential role in keeping your skin, nails, and hands healthy and soft.
Proteins such as collagen help in maintaining healthy-looking and youthful skin. Omega 3 fatty acid-rich foods can help slow the process of aging by cell turnover. Foods like fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids can cause dry and rough skin. Fish oils can be used to treat inflammatory conditions of the skin like psoriasis.
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant for the skin. It protects the skin from unnecessary inflammation and the production of free radicals that damage the skin and cause premature aging. Avocados are a good source of Vitamin E along with fish. Vitamin C is essential for the skin because it helps in developing collagen, the main building protein of the skin to keep it healthy and glowing. Vitamin C has antioxidative properties, meaning that it can protect against oxidative stress to the skin caused by excessive exposure to sunlight. Nuts and seeds are packed with skin-boosting nutrients. Sunflower seeds are the best example, as they're dense with Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium, etc. They do wonders for the skin and also help in anti-aging.
Red grapes are famous for the benefits is provides skin due to Resveratrol it contains. Resveratrol is a well-known antioxidant abundant in red grapes and may help prevent the aging of your skin by inhibiting the damaging effects of free radicals. Looks like that glass of wine with dinner is just the ticket!
The Bottom Line
Incorporating a skincare regime for hands is as essential as it is for your face. When it comes to skincare, the bulk of the products available are for the face. The skin on your face receives the most attention, while the skin on your hands is often neglected. Aging skin will start to lose its elasticity as collagen production slows and the fatty layer under the epidermis thins. The skin on the back of the hands is most susceptible to this happening.
It's important to take care of your hands and use the tactics and tips mentioned above on how to care for them. Keeping them nourished will maintain a supple, youthful appearance. Never forget to pamper the hands, as they need it the most.
