The options available to us to look and feel a million dollars nowadays, if we so choose, are wide and varied. Progress and awareness on the subjects of health and beauty are at such a high and fast paced level that if we have the time, inclination and some extra pocket money to lavish on ourselves, it is possible to look much younger than our true age and improve anything from the shape of our eyebrows or cheekbones to the shape of our thighs.
One area of our body which usually looks older before the face, is our hands. This was more evident among rich celebrities a decade or two ago, before beauty companies started to promote and provide hand rejuvenation treatments. I remember looking at photographs of different female movie stars and noticing how impossibly young and beautiful they looked for their age, but then I would notice that their hands would give their age away. I am not suggesting for one moment that we should become obsessed with looking young, heaven knows I don’t want to endorse this obsession the media is feeding us that young is best, as well as their obsession for using ridiculously young models for every beauty advert. The point is, if you love to look good and enjoy spending time and money beautifying your face and body, remember to include your hands in your regime.
ANTI AGEING CREAMS
Using a good hand cream on a daily basis should be the basis of keeping skin on hands conditioned. If keeping up with the latest technology of which types of ingredients to look for is too time consuming, one way of ensuring you have an excellent product is to choose well known upmarket brands like Guerlain, Estee Lauder, Chanel or any brand of a similar calibre. These types of brands keep abreast of the latest developments in the skincare industry, so you can be assured your hand cream will deliver state of the art results. If natural or organic is your thing, try products from Environ, The Organic Pharmacy, (both U.K.), Bio Exellia (Nicosia) or Roseveda Skinelle oil (Facewiz 99548338, who also offer The Hand Facial, using special blends of serums and masks) A great nourishing treatment for hands is to mix two drops of either carrot seed, palmarosa, frankinsence or patchouli essential oil into a handful (about two teaspoons) of rosehip, avocado or other plant or vegetable oil and rub into hands before bedtime.
Re surfacing Treatments.
Some beauty salons offer peeling treatments using crystal therapy, which effectively sloughs of dead, dulling cells and encourages cell renewal. Alternatively use specially formulated products that contain fruit acids or glycolic acid, such as MD formulations Vit-A-Plus Hand and Body Lotion (order online), and remember to protect hands from sun exposure after using this type of cream. Using a face mask that contains fruit and glycolic acids is also a good booster treatment for hands and can be applied about once a week for three or four weeks. This is probably best done during the winter as exposure to sun should be limited after treatment.
Proffessional treatment.
I.P.L. or Intense pulsed light, is good for fading sun spots. This treatment is more commonly associated with hair removal, but offers other benefits, such as skin rejuvenation and the fading of discolouration caused by excess melanin production or ‘age’ spots. A qualified operator uses a hand held wand that emits high intensity pulsed light, which is directed on the area being treated. The light is attracted to the darker, excess melanin, pigmented areas of skin. A heat reaction in the cells is produced, and the melanin breaks down. Amount of treatments necessary vary according to which type of equipment your therapist or dermatologist uses, but usually around three treatments are necessary.
