How to have beautiful hands? Here are our 10 techniques
"I don't have beautiful hands," you might think. While we all have different physiognomies, it's entirely possible to enhance them with various techniques. So, how do you get beautiful hands? That's what we're going to find out!
As is often the case in our articles, a little background is needed before we start. It may seem surprising, yet hands are the most fragile parts of the body, because the skin there is very thin and poor in sebaceous glands – these secrete sebum, a component of the hydrolipidic film that protects the skin from external aggressions and dehydration. And then, they are also very often used and in direct contact with the external environment (pollution, sun, friction, shock, etc.).
- Protect your hands from the sun
We often think about protecting our face, but our hands should not be neglected. Just like the face, they are the body parts directly exposed to the sun's rays!
However, the sun is the skin's primary enemy, as it accelerates skin aging due to UV (ultraviolet) rays, particularly UVA rays. These penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB rays – which are responsible for sunburn – causing premature skin aging.
Therefore, remember to apply sunscreen to your hands, preferably with an SPF of 30 or higher.
- Moisturize your skin
We can't repeat it enough: moisturize.
Skin hydration is essential to prevent dryness, redness, cracks, and sensations of tightness, and it should be done regularly. It's especially in winter that you need to pay attention to it.
Choose products with nourishing, repairing, softening, and protective properties. You can use both balms and creams.
If your hands are particularly dehydrated, you can certainly do a mask! For your hand mask, you can apply natural vegetable oils such as sweet almond, olive, avocado, shea, or argan oil, or you can apply a very hydrating and nourishing cream as a poultice.
Of course, remember to have clean hands before applying your treatment.
- Exfoliate your skin
Also remember to exfoliate your hands!
Exfoliation helps to:
- remove dead skin cells and optimize the hydrating effect of hand cream;
- make them even softer;
- limit the appearance of brown spots, caused by sun exposure.
You can either opt for a scrub designed for hands or make your own homemade scrub. Be careful, however, as body scrubs should be avoided because they are too aggressive for the skin on your hands and risk damaging them.
- Massage your hands
This tip is more relevant if you're wondering how to have beautiful slender hands or how to have pretty fingers. Indeed, just like the rest of the body, hands can also be massaged to keep the skin and muscles supple.
Not sure how to go about it? You can check online, where you'll find many tutorials.
An important note: even if you want to know how to have slender hands, we still want to remind you that slenderness is not the sole prerogative of beauty.
- Wear gloves
Another grandmother's tip for beautiful hands (which we already shared when we discussed fragile nails): wear gloves. More precisely, wear gloves when doing dishes, cleaning, or gardening.
Why? Because these manual activities bring you into contact with dirt, grease, or products containing harmful agents that can damage your skin.
That's not all; also remember to wear gloves in winter, as hands are more often subjected to temperature differences, which tends to make them red and dehydrated.
- Take care of your nails
Let's talk about nails specifically, because having beautiful hands and beautiful nails often go hand in hand.
Remember to take good care of your nails, as well as being meticulous when doing your manicure.
Specifically, pay attention to:
- applying a base coat to prevent pigment migration and nail yellowing;
- whitening them as needed to remove stubborn nail polish residue;
- hydrating them with oils like sweet almond oil, castor oil, or buriti oil;
- pushing back cuticles;
- buffing your nails;
- spacing out nail polish applications;
- eating healthily to promote nail health.
- Choose a nail shape according to your hands
Hand beauty also involves a beautiful harmony of nail shape. Since hand morphology differs from person to person, some nail shapes will be more flattering than others.
And there is quite a variety: round; square (rounded or oval); almond; or pointed.
- Hydrate your cuticles
And don't forget the cuticles! To prevent them from drying out, you can hydrate them with a little lip balm.
If small, unsightly pieces protrude, use a cuticle nipper to trim them neatly.
- Choose a nail polish based on your skin tone
Depending on whether you have fair or white skin, or dark or black skin, certain nail polish colors are more suitable than others.
Some examples:
- yellow nail polish flatters olive and dark skin tones more than fair skin tones;
- pink, when it's bubblegum pink, suits fair skin much better than dark skin;
- nude colors are a safe bet, provided they are chosen close to the skin tone and according to the skin's undertone.
But we reiterate: here, it's all a matter of taste. If a color appeals to you, go for it!
- Use skin-friendly products
Finally, we cannot recommend enough that you opt for products with healthy ingredients, and therefore, healthy for the beauty of your hands.
Therefore, lean towards natural nail polishes that do not contain ingredients suspected of being harmful to health. You will identify them by their "3 Free," "4 Free," etc., labels.
Don't forget nail polish removers, which are often neglected. Yet, they are just as important to consider. Avoid those containing acetone, which, in addition to damaging the lipid film – the first layer of the nail that protects it from external aggressions – dries out the surrounding skin.
In the same vein, and because we wash our hands very frequently, especially during the winter season (yet again!) with the appearance of viruses and other illnesses, remember to favor cleansers with moisturizing formulas, preferably adapted for sensitive skin. Cold-processed soaps and/or vegetable oil-based soaps work very well.
Last step, if you have the time and opportunity: apply hand cream to maintain hydration.
You might not get the most beautiful hands in the world, but you will achieve the most beautiful version of your own.
What other steps have you adopted to have beautiful hands?
