According to research carried out by leading cosmetic doctor, Dr Rita Rakus, 75 percent of women believe their true age is given away by their hands, while 80 percent admitted they would notice if another woman’s hands looked older. This is because many women forget to take care of their hands, often neglecting the skin there, said Dr Raffaella Gabassi, a multi-award-winning aesthetic practitioner and dentist. The two experts, as well as cosmetic doctor Dr Paris Acharya, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about what women can do to protect their hands, as well as their necks, and reduce ageing signs.
Dr Raffaella said: “While most people follow a morning and night skincare regime for the face, they often neglect the neck and hands. With the spring and summer sun approaching, it is very important to include the neck and hands as part of your daily skin care regimen.
“The neck is a very delicate area and is one of the first areas that shows signs of ageing. With ageing, the skin loosens and discolours, and this starts to happen at a rapid rate.”
The main simple skincare steps to follow for the neck, according to Dr Raffaella, is to exfoliate, cleanse, use retinol, vitamin C moisturisation, and SPF 50.
She continued: “Exfoliation will help reduce dead skin that has accumulated. I do recommend using a gentle approach when cleansing as the skin here is delicate.
“The application of topical retinoids is essential as they can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. Retinoids are vitamin A based derivatives.
“In addition to cleansing the skin on your décolletage twice a day, I would suggest using an exfoliating product or mask a few times a week. This can help gently scrub away dead skin cells on your neck.
“It is crucial to enhance skin hydration, and so I highly recommend using a moisturiser or serum with hyaluronic acid on the skin of your décolletage.
“Hyaluronic acid has the ability to decrease the appearance of wrinkles, improve skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity, and leaves the skin feeling soft and looking youthful,” Dr Raffaella added.
As for the hands, which, like the neck, are also easily neglected, moisturiser is needed.
“I would put moisturisers on the hands and put on gloves at bedtime and let the moisturiser seep in the skin while you sleep,” the expert said.
However, the most important product for the hands is SPF 50, which protects the skin from harmful UVB rays.
“These rays lead to premature ageing and may lead to skin cancer,” Dr Raffaella stressed.
Dr Paris Acharya also weighed in her expertise. She explained: “Antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E can mitigate long-term damage, resulting in healthier skin as we age.
“It’s vital to find a product that does a number of things – moisturises the dry, cracked skin, as well as delivering vitamin C which promotes collagen production and has the potential to thicken the dermis and reduce the appearance of fine lines.”
One of the products Dr Paris recommended for the hands was the C&E Hand Renewal from PCA Skin.
She went on to advise what daily steps women can take to protect the hands. “When doing other household jobs involving getting your hands wet, such as washing up and cleaning, make sure you wear rubber gloves,” she said.
“These will protect your hands from the harsh chemicals in the household cleaning products that strip skin of its natural moisture and result in excessively dry hands.”
Like Dr Raffaella, Dr Paris too recommended using SPF, which she said is “vital” for the hands. “Protect the skin with a good quality sunblock even if you’re not sunbathing,” she said.
“Because the hands are usually exposed they are more easily affected by the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays. Ensuring you wear a sun block will help to protect them from drying out and premature ageing such as wrinkles and sun spots.”
