Hands

By: Linda Gomez
 
Our beautiful hands. They spend countless hours working, holding children, gardening, cleaning, making family dinners and much, much more. They are a representation of everything that we handle in a day. And they also show it over the years!
 
While much of the aging process is out of our control, we can be proactive with certain measures. First things first - sunscreen.
 
Your hands are just as prone to skin cancer as anywhere else. They are also often forgotten when it comes to UV protection. It’s never too late to start this as part of your daily routine!

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Your nails are also a huge part of your hands’ appearance. If you wear jewelry, eyes are more drawn there, so having nice nails is a must.
 
I love the pampering of a manicure, but don’t always have the time. I spend so many hours a day on the computer, I prefer keeping them short and nondescript. I also don’t like to draw much attention to them since I happen to have my Dad’s hands - great for a man, not so much for a woman!
 
Over the summer I decided to give gel polish a try (since it’s stronger and lasts longer) but it does come with some warnings! First, most gel polishes are cured with UV-light.
 
Some salons now use LED lamps which help cut down the UV exposure, but not all polishes work with these, so they aren’t as widely used. And unfortunately, UV exposure in any form is never healthy.
 
So, if you’re going this route, apply sunscreen to the tops of your hands before curing. There are also now protective gloves you can wear too!
 
Second, tempting as it is to peel the polish when it starts to lift, it will peel the top layers of your nails with it. Even after soaking mine off, the filing process to remove the rest of the polish afterwards left them thin and fragile, and it will be a couple of months before they grow out to their normal strength. I am one to try almost anything once, but I think I will stick with my go-to OPI Bubble Bath polish.
 
Whatever and however you do it, be sure to pamper those lovely hands for all that they do. They are models of accomplishment!