Favoring Your Face

We all play favorites and when it comes to skincare, this rule almost always applies. Your complexion is front and center, so it’s no surprise we often neglect places like our neck, décolleté, arms and hands. These parts may not stare back at you from your bathroom mirror, but the rest of the world often notices the total package, especially when guessing your age … so don’t dismiss them. Extend your skincare regimen down through your neck, chest and follow through with arms, hands and feet. A good rule of thumb is that if the sun’s seen it, your skincare regimen should too!

By Dr. Kathy Fields

They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. And when it comes to preventing the appearance of aging hands, this maxim couldn’t be more true. The reality is, while corrective therapies and treatments are available, results are harder to achieve and less of a sure thing than the proverbial ounce or two of good old-fashioned prevention.
Unlike the dramatic results we see from invasive procedures on our faces and other parts of our bodies, restoring youthfulness to hands through lasers and injectables is a hard sell. Skin on the hands is thinner and there is less fat pad to work with so treatments require multiple visits, are extremely expensive and very uncomfortable. The cost and time commitment scare most people away … so they are left with scary hands.
The most effective method for prevention and correction is consistent, daily adherence to a topical anti-aging regimen. An effective anti-aging hand treatment should include proven ingredients to increase collagen and improve smoothness and thickness, and sunscreens to protect against wrinkles and discolorations caused by the sun.
So not only should you make hand care a part of your daily and nightly routine, you should keep your anti-aging hand products “handy” at the office and in your purse or car so you can make hand care a lasting habit with long-term results.

UV Manicure Mania

A minute here. A minute there. Drying your nails under a UV lamp is only a few minutes a couple of times a month … no harm done, right? Wrong. While your manicurist will assure you otherwise, the truth is, UV damage is cumulative, and whether from a UV lamp or the sun, damaging just the same. And you’ll find the effects on your skin and health will be even longer lasting than your favorite shellac.
But the good news is there are ways to safely indulge in the famous two-week manicure. Simply apply an effective UVA/UVB SPF to the tops of your hands before placing your hands in the UV dryer and enjoy your manicure guilt-free.