Tips to take care of your hands

Apr 14, 2023Sofia Francès0 comments

Our hands are as important a letter of introduction as our face... we use them to greet, caress and work in our social, affective and work relationships, so their softness and appearance determine the image we reflect of ourselves.

Furthermore, the skin on the back of our hands reflects our age and the state of our health.

How is the skin of the hands?

The skin of the hands differs from that of the rest of the body in its thickness and in the number and type of glands and nerve endings it possesses.

While the palms have thick and resistant skin, the skin on the back is more sensitive and thin, similar to that around the eyes and neck.

The main characteristics of the skin of the hands are:

The palms of the hands have thick skin, do not have sebaceous glands, although they do have many sweat glands.
Under the skin of the palms there is a good layer of fat that serves as a protective pad.
The fingers have many nerve endings, so they are highly sensitive to cold, heat, and pain.
The skin on the back of the hands is very thin and has hardly any hair. The sebaceous glands at that level are also small and produce little fat (therefore the lipid layer of the skin that hydrates and protects it is scarce).
Under the skin on the back of the hands there is almost no fat, and that is why we can see the blood vessels that pass underneath.

What can harm the skin of the hands?

The skin of the hands is continually exposed to dirt, friction, air, sun, and the various substances that we touch.

When we frequently expose them (or without proper protection) to one or several of these factors, the skin becomes irritated and symptoms such as dryness, itching, redness, painful cracks or calluses appear. Usually the most damaged hand is the one we use the most (the right hand in right-handed people and the left hand in left-handed people).

The most frequent causes are:

Handle irritating substances without gloves (detergents, bleaches, chemical products necessary for our work or our hobbies).
Subject them to constant friction (as occurs in certain trades or by practicing some sports).
Wash your hands with aggressive soaps or soaps that dry the skin (for example, hydroalcoholic gels).
Wash hands excessively frequently. If it is necessary to do so, you must use very mild products and increase the frequency of hydration.
Cooking acidic and sugary foods and not washing our hands properly when finished.
Not adequately hydrating them to compensate for the lack of natural lipid layer.
Having an allergy to the substances we touch (dyes, cements, and glues are some of the most frequently allergic substances).
Do not protect them from the sun, cold and wind.

Apart from external agents, some diseases such as psoriasis, dyshidrotic eczema or certain genetic diseases manifest specifically in the hands.

9 Tips to take care of your hands

Are you aware of the work your hands do every day? Caring for and protecting the skin of your hands is more important than you imagine. It is useless to have a perfect manicure if our hands look punished. The key to avoiding wrinkles and spots is hydration.

We detail 9 tips to make your hands look hydrated and perfect... follow our 9 tips and protect your hands.

1. Wash your hands with lukewarm water.

High temperatures dry out the skin and contribute to dehydration, although hot water can be very pleasant, we recommend that you moderate the temperature and try to wash your hands with lukewarm water on the verge of cold. Follow this advice also in winter.

2. Use soap that respects the pH of your skin.

Take care of your skin with products that balance the pH, in the case of hands you should also take this into account.

Look for a soap with a neutral pH that maintains the acidity of your skin and protects you from bacteria and pathogens and do not wash your hands more than necessary.

3. Dry your hands well after washing them.

Humidity is the great enemy of your skin. To avoid irritation and cracks in your skin, we advise you to take special care and dry your hands perfectly after each wash.

4. Keep skin hydrated.

The key is hydration, the advice of specialists is that you hydrate your hands at least twice a day.

5. Wear gloves to protect yourself from the cold.

In winter, do not part with your gloves and in summer do not subject your hands to high temperatures.

6. Protect yourself from the sun.

If you expose your hands to the sun, use a cream with sun protection, you will avoid drying out your hands and stop premature aging, as well as the spots and pigmentation that arise with age.