Keep Your Hands Healthy

Without our hands to create beautiful things, express our feelings, and get things done, we'd be lost. Here, 10 ways to pamper yours so they stay healthy and young-looking.

1. Wear sunscreen. Hands incur sun damage just like faces do. Don't forget to apply SPF daily.
2. Exfoliate. Use a grainy scrub on backs of hands twice a week to reveal glowing skin.
3. Keep cuticles neat. Cuticles function as barriers to bacteria and fungus, but they can often overgrow. Use a wooden or metal cuticle pusher after a shower to keep them in line (and you've heard it before: Don't cut!).
4. Release tension. Most of us hold tension in our necks and shoulders, but we can also carry the stress of the day in our hands. Give yours a daily self-massage to keep them tension-free.
5. Share facial treatments. Vitamin C, retinol, and alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids benefit the skin on our hands. Apply a bit of treatment whenever you use it on your face.
6. Seal cuticle tears. Tiny hangnails and bitten edges can catch on almost anything, turning into deep tears and possibly leading to infection. Keep them covered by applying a liquid bandage product (try the new one from Band-Aid) as soon as tears develop.
7. Keep nails short. Long talons tend to look garish, and invite breaks that can be painful. File nails to a quarter-inch above your fingertips.
8. Give nails breathing room. Experts suggest you take a one-week break from polish every month.
9. Tap, tap, tap! Believe it or not, tapping your fingernails on a hard surface stimulates nail health and growth. So drum away!
10. Get a manicure. Sure, doing your own nails is economical and practical, but a professional manicure every two or three months is a welcome bit of pampering. What's more, pros can deal with tough problems like calluses and flaking cuticles better than you can at home.