CREATING the perfect skincare routine for my face has taken years – not to mention thousands of pounds.
Even when I grew out my grey almost five years ago, thanks to clever cuts and careful maintenance, I never felt like it aged me.
Yet, a few months ago, as I typed an email, l looked at my hands and barely recognised them.
Beauty Journalist Jo Hoare feels betrayed by the skin on her handsCredit: Lorna Roach
Dry, crepey and wrinkled, they could easily be the hands of a woman 20 or even 30 years my senior.
So, I spoke to the experts to find out exactly what happened – and, more importantly, if I can fix the damage.
Why does hand ageing creep up on us?
Our hands can age faster than our faces because, ultimately, they live a harder life, with far less protection.
“Hand ageing often seems to appear suddenly, but in reality it’s the result of years of cumulative damage that we don’t notice day to day,” explains and dermatology expert Dr Sonia Khorana.
Constant sun exposure is the biggest culprit, and even the most diligent SPF fan probably forgets about their hands.
Think of all the times yours have directly faced the sun, gripping a steering wheel, pushing a pram, holding a dog lead, clutching cups, and all that time they are quietly absorbing UV rays.
Hands age faster than the skin on our faces, as they’re often less protected from the elementsCredit: Getty Images
Add to that the fact that the skin here is naturally thinner, with fewer oil glands, and it’s primed to show lines, crepey texture and translucency earlier on.
As we age, we also lose the padding of subcutaneous fat (the layer just beneath the skin), making veins, tendons and bones appear more prominent.
It’s a change that can feel sudden in midlife, particularly as perimenopause and kick in and oestrogen drops, making skin drier and less resilient.
Plus, weight loss, whether that’s through jabs, stress or other lifestyle changes, can ramp up the effects, too.
Finally, there’s wear and tear – washing dishes, sanitising alcohol gels, cleaning products and cold can steadily strip the skin barrier, leading to chronic dryness and inflammation that accelerates ageing.
With me scoring a hat-trick for all three of these factors (apart from the cleaning products – , I’m not!), it’s no wonder my hands could stunt-double for an octogenarian.
Here’s everything the experts recommended to turn back the clock.
Apply nourishing hand cream little and oftenCredit: Nursem
Keep your hands hydrated
“Being thinner than the skin elsewhere on our bodies, hand skin loses moisture easily, meaning it needs more care to stay hydrated, especially in .
Apply hand cream little and often, always after washing your hands, before bed and any time they feel dry,” says Antonia Philp, nurse and co-founder of brand Nursem.
Dr Khorana tells me to look out for creams that contain glycerine, ceramides and urea to support the skin barrier.
Created by a nurse, this hand cream is specifically formulated for those who wash their hands oftenCredit: Nursem
Nursem Caring Hand Cream, £19.99
So, I invest in a few, including Nursem Caring Hand Cream for home use, and CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream , for out and about.
I buy a couple of tubes and put one in each handbag, in my dog-walking jacket and even next to my favourite TV-watching spot.
Approved by dermatologists, this is a great hand cream for sensitive skinCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream, £8
It soon becomes a habit to apply the creams multiple times a day.
Within just one week, I notice a difference in my hands, with the dryness and crepiness becoming much less noticeable.
Add retinol to your routine
Applying your usual skincare principles to your hands can help uneven pigmentation, dryness, lines and dullness.
Retinol is the best anti-ageing ingredient out there, for both hands and faceCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Beauty Pie Super Retinol Hands+ Anti-Aging Moisture Cream, £12.50 for members
A retinol-based option, such as Beauty Pie Super Retinol Hands+ Anti-Aging Moisture Cream , is a useful addition to your hand cream collection.
A retinol hand cream like this can reduce age spots and fine linesCredit: Nécessaire
Nécessaire The Hand Retinol, £36
Nécessaire The Hand Retinol , is the bestselling treatment at Space NK thanks to its sophisticated formula that combines retinol with exfoliating AHAs to reveal smoother, younger-looking hands in a matter of weeks.
Used daily, this retinol hand cream will rewind the clock
No7 Pure Retinol Hand Cream, £17.95
Plus, with over 150 five-star reviews on .com, No7 Pure Retinol Hand Cream , is suitable for even sensitive skin, thanks to the fragrance-free formula that’s designed to prevent dryness and irritation while reducing uneven texture and age spots.
Or, if you’re lazy like me, simply rub in what you have left on your hands after applying your retinol face product.
Just remember to stop if any irritation occurs, and always use SPF when applying retinol products.
Use sun protection
Nothing will halt hand ageing faster than diligent SPF application.
“You should treat your hands like you would your face when it comes to sun protection,” says Dr Khorana.
“Daily SPF is a non-negotiable.”
Without regular SPF application, all other treatments are a waste of timeCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Boots SPF+ Hydrating Daily Suncare Hand Cream, £4
Avoid sticky products or those that feel like a chore to apply, though.
I like Boots SPF+ Hydrating Daily Suncare Hand Cream and the bargain price means I don’t wince before reapplying it every time I wash my hands.
This hand SPF isn’t greasy, so you can reapply frequentlyCredit: Hello Sunday
Hello Sunday The One For Your Hands Hand Cream SPF30, £10
Hello Sunday The One For Your Hands Hand Cream SPF30 costs slightly more, but has only five-star reviews on Lookfantastic.com, with users praising the lightweight, non-greasy formula that absorbs quickly into skin.
Explore hand tweakments
Using hand cream regularly definitely made a difference to dryness, and future-me will be grateful for the SPF I’m now slathering on, but my hands still look dull and wrinkly.
So I turn to a tweakment.
Profhilo is a series of pure hyaluronic acid injections, which hydrate the skin and trigger collagen and elastin production.
It’s most commonly administered to the face, but it’s also a great option for hand ageing.
I had one course of the treatment at Dr Leah Clinics & Skincare and although it’s not cheap – from £450 a treatment – the difference is both instant and impressive.
They’re plumper, more hydrated and with a brightness I thought I’d lost forever – for a serious improvement to your hands, it’s worth it.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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