Hands work, clean, care, point, caress, love, and are, more than the face, the areas most exposed to external agents. That is why they reveal the traces of time passing more clearly than any other part of the body. In fact, the skin of the hands ages five times faster than that of the face. Moreover, if for other areas of the face it is possible to 'camouflage' age with make-up or other small tricks, this is not possible for the hands. From dark spots to dry skin, to more or less obvious veins, even the nails, with the passing of the years, tend to change their shape and thickness, thus revealing a hand that is no longer young.

To counter the effect of time on our hands, in addition to good daily cosmetics, it is important to act preventively and correct those imperfections that are an expression of the passing of time. In fact, hands should be given the same care that we give to the face, neck and décolleté, which is often not the case. Yet it is often precisely the hands, when they are beautiful and well cared for, that give the person in general a sophisticated and pleasant image.

Aesthetic medicine can help, with various treatments, to have younger and more beautiful hands. Let's see how.

• Against stains in the first place, one can try creams with a lightening effect that, with the help of certain exfoliating principles, act on the dark spots typical of age. The spots on the hands (as well as those on the face and décolleté) can be brilliantly treated with the use of pulsed light, a machine that allows, through repeated applications, the almost complete disappearance of melanocytic pigmentation of the skin.
• To restore firmness to the skin on the back of the hands, anti-ageing fillers injected under the skin can be used. The session is absolutely painless and the effect is both filling and regenerating, and in any case completely natural.
• Another solution for hand rejuvenation is PRP (protein-rich plasma), a treatment that stimulates the neo-synthesis of collagen and hyaluronic acid. It is a method suitable as a form of prevention, i.e. from the age of 30, but also ideal for hands over 50, because it triggers a process of gradual skin rejuvenation. A small amount of venous blood is taken and centrifuged to separate the red blood cells from the serum containing plasma and platelets. At this point, the activated plasma is injected under the skin with micro-injections on the back of the hand.
• Rough and constantly cracked hands are mainly caused by damage to the hydrolipid film - a thin barrier formed by proteins, fats and water - due to temperature changes and irritants. For hands that are always young and smooth, it is possible to resort to a peelingmachine that exfoliates the skin and softens it.

Finally, here are some tips to put into practice in daily life for beautiful, smooth and young hands:

• Always wear latex gloves when using any type of detergent. Latex ones are very thin and preserve the sensitivity of the hands, so you can handle everything with ease.
• Even outside the home, in winter, it is essential to wear gloves to protect your hands from the cold.
• In the summertime, on the other hand, do not forget to use sunscreen on your hands as well to prevent the sun from 'worsening' the situation of wrinkles and spots on the back of the hands.
• Finally, never forget to moisturise your hands with specific creams that create a protective barrier against external agents.