When your hands are 20 years older than your face

I'm in good company with this one: both Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker suffer from the same affliction.
There are four reasons why our hands can age faster than the rest of our face - and it's not just failure to apply hand cream:

1. Exposure to sunlight and chemicals cause thinning and drying of the skin on the hands, as well as brown spots, wrinkles and prominent veins;
2. Veins become less elastic with age and this allows more blood to remain in them, thus pressing them close to the skin which, itself, is more transparent as you get older. If your skin is pale, the veins' bluish-purple colour shows through that much more;
3. Strenuous exercise, particularly strength training, increases blood flow which makes the veins bigger; 
4. The menopause causes a drop in their levels of oestrogen - the hormone that helps to keep the skin plump and fleshy.

So what can be done, apart from wearing lacy gloves as Madonna used to do?

There are expensive options. Non-surgical procedures, such as laser treatments and chemical peels, can reduce age spots. Fat injections can be used to plump up the hands, while laser ablation can reduce the prominence of veins.

Radiesse dermal filler works by stimulating the body to produce its own natural collagen, but the effects of volume restoration are immediate. With just one treatment Radiesse restores younger looking hands by reducing the appearance of tendons and veins. Something to think about if you have a big occasion coming up.

Image: Radiesse 

Hand vein sclerotherapy is also an option. A virtually painless treatment, it involves injecting hand veins in a similar way to varicose veins in the legs. A small cotton compression bandage is worn for two hours after treatment, and recovery is swift.

Less drastic ways to try to improve the hands and prevent further ageing include treating your hands the same as your face and exfoliating them, followed by a mask and judicious amounts of hand cream. Wear Bliss Glamour Gloves for 20 minutes or overnight and let the hydrating ingredients grapeseed oil, ceramides, jojoba oil, olive oil, and vitamin E work their magic.

Hand creams with retinol include Chantecaille's Retinol Hand Cream from Space NK. Dermatologists can prescribe retinoid cream to improve texture and jump start the growth of thickening collagen, You can also use heavy-duty concealers like Derma Blend to instantly cover dark veins. You'll have to reapply after washing your hands, but it still beats surgery.

I've grown reconciled to my poor old hands (or claws as my husband calls them) and if anyone remarks on their condition, I put it down to a lot of hard work. I won't be doing anything more than occasionally remembering hand cream, always using sun cream, and making good use of pockets.

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