CARE FOR HANDS AND NAILS
What we tend to forget is that our hands are on display all the time. Even when we talk, we use gestures and gesticulations.
Rough, wrinkled hands and chipped nails can really shatter the entire illusion. The condition of the hands depends on the care you give them…and this is so true for every aspect of the appearance. Good grooming includes pretty hands.
The hand is really a marvel. It has 28 bones, including the wrist, all wonderfully balanced. No wonder it has so much mobility and expression. In fact, the hands can speak a language of their own.
On the back of the hands, the skin is soft and thin. It is prone to early wrinkling. On the palm, the skin is thick and tough. The palm has no sebaceous glands, like most other parts of the body have. Therefore, it has no natural lubrication and can become exceedingly dry and rough. The skin chaps easily. The use of detergents compounds the problem, giving you a pair of hands that you wish you could hide. The hands also show up age quicker than most parts of the body. So prevention through daily care is the only answer.
After your bath, or any washing chores, always massage your hands with a lubricating cream. A lemon turmeric cream is ideal. Lemon cleanses while turmeric softens the skin. The combination is protection against chlorine and detergent damage.
Every night, before bedtime, use a cream on the hands, massaging for a few minutes. Apricot hand creams are excellent for providing nourishment to the skin. Additionally, apricot helps to tighten the skin and prevent wrinkles.
For an emergency treatment for coarse, rough skin, apply the cream lavishly at bedtime and go to sleep with cotton gloves on. Almond cream with a lanolin base is also good for the hands, giving them a mild bleaching treatment and nourishing the skin at the same time.
If you can afford the luxury of time, apply a bit of your daily face mask to your hands. This helps to cleanse, tone and smoothen the skin. At least, give them this treatment once a week.
Specially formulated body packs are also available that can be used on the hands. Exercising the hands helps to make them flexible and improve circulation. Try the following exercises, repeating them 6-10 ten times.
• Clinch your fists tightly for a moment and then throw open the fingers as wide as possible.
• Put your hands out in front of you, palm down. Press the fingers tightly against each other and then thrust them apart as widely as possible.
• Allow the hands to be limp and relaxed. Then rotate them from the wrists in circles, first clockwise and then anticlockwise. If your hands are tired, give them an instant reviving treatment. Soak them for a few minutes in warm water, to which about two to three tbsp. of salt have been added. This helps to soothe them and get rid of waste debris and scales.
Another treatment which stimulates circulation is to soak them alternatively in hot and cold water. This also soothes the nerve endings.
A professional hand massage and manicure once a week really helps to maintain and protect the beauty of the hands. For home manicures, you would need a few implements to aid you. Among the essential ones are emery boards for shaping the nails and smoothening the hardened skin on the sides. A pumice stone helps to soften callouses and remove stains.
Orange sticks are needed for gently pushing back the cuticles. Acetone and nail varnish are required if you would like to add colour. A cream to soften the cuticles is absolutely essential.
Nail polish removers and acetones have a very drying effect on the skin. After removing the old polish, always massage around the nails to make them soft and smooth.