Most of us spend money like water on face creams, moisturizers and anti-wrinkle lotions. And yet, when we reach the age of reckoning, we act surprised to see our hands staring back at us, wrinkled and spotted and we shake our heads as if to say – now when and how the devil did that happen ?
Lets start at the very beginning. Things would be a lot less complicated if we understood the simple fact that the hands and face are the first to show signs of aging. They are the areas that undergo the maximum exposure to the sun and the elements. In addition, with all the work we do with our hands, it’s no wonder they find if hard to escape the tentacles of age.
This said, it follows that these are the areas that need the maximum care and attention. Hands need moisturizing – lots of it of course, exercise won’t hurt either!
Try out these handy tips
- Keep a piece of lemon next to your hand-washing soap. Rub it over your hands at least once a day, before washing. This will help delay the onset of age-spots.
- Make it a point to wear rubber gloves when doing housework like dusting, cleaning out a cupboard or arranging shelves. In fact, it is a good idea to wear cool cotton gloves whenever possible.
- If you crack your knuckles, stop now unless you think wobbly fingers are a turn-on.
- Long nails can look very elegant, but only if they are kept in shape. File them regularly with an emery board – steer clear from a steel file as it can wreak havoc. And remember, nothing looks more unattractive on hands than dirt under the nails. So if you can’t keep nails clean, keep them short and simple.
Some simple hand exercises
- Stretch your fingers wide and clap hard, so that your fingers of both hands are aligned – i.e. thumb to thumb, forefinger to forefinger. Not only is this yogic exercise good for the hands, it aids blood circulation as well. Don’t do this in public though, unless you want to be mistaken for an alternate species of humankind.
- Stretch your hands out in front of you, pull back curling in fingers with as much pressure as possible, as if you are trying hard to pull in something heavy.
- Hold both hands in front of you with palms facing inwards, loosen their wrist grip and flap them backwards and forwards. Feel them tingle as the blood rushes to them.
- Squeeze the tip of each finger as hard as possible for about five seconds. Any longer, and you’ll be getting into acupressure – which is another story entirely.
- Close your fingers and circle your wrists ten times in each direction.
