The old adage that our hands and neck can give away our age is true. The hands are especially difficult when it comes to practicing the same sun care and skin care treatments as we do on our face and neck. With constant hand washing, exposure to the sun, and the daily "wear and tear" we put our hands through, it is always a good idea to extend some of the same care to them as we do other parts of the body!

Caring for our hands, means caring for the nails and the skin. Reapplying moisturizer and cuticle balms or oils after hand-washing, makes a big difference in keeping the cuticles comfortable and the nails hydrated. The drier the nails, the more likely they are to break. If you have your nails professionally manicured, we are fans of salons that offer non-toxic polishes and gels. A gold star for choosing nail products that don't require UV light to cure.

Brown spots, laxity, and loss of volume can all make the back of the hands appear more mature than we would always like. Get those spots checked! Have a dermatology provider take a look at the hands and nails as part of your yearly (or more, if advised) skin exam for skin cancer. Once those brown spots are ruled out as any type of medical concern, then treating them with aesthetic options and medical grade skincare is recommended. At clara, we recommend Revision Skincare Lumiquin for the back of the hands as a nightly treatment. Made to brighten and even the skin tone with powerful antioxidants, including Vitamin C, over time hands appear more supple and smooth.

UPF driving gloves come in many fashionable and lightweight options. Some favorites of the clara staff are made by Coolio and Solbari. The fingerless options are nice for nail treatments when UV light is used, as a bit of protection beyond nothing at all. Using a body lotion with a zinc-based sunscreen ingredient is a great way to get the best of both worlds. EltaMD's UV Lotion is an SPF 30 that is perfect for this purpose.

Chemical peels can sometimes be applied to the hands as part of a face peel that is targeting brown spots. Our Renew Peel is formulated for stubborn brown spots and comes with an at-home skincare system that can also be used on the hands. Bright Complex and Clara Bright Custom Blend work well at nightly treatments for the back of the hands.

Staying vigilant with sun protection and the moisturizing needs of the hands and nails, along with a yearly once over by a dermatology provider, all go a long way to making sure your hands keep the pace with all you do to keep your skin looking it's best.