Care for your hands

Are your hands paying the price for want of time? Don't neglect them as they reflect the state of your inner health, says our expert

Hands and feet are the most exposed part of the body. Therefore they are the first to show signs of aging. This is precisely why you need to take that extra care of them.

Care for hands

When doing household chores like dusting, cleaning or scrubbing, wear rubber gloves. This will prevent them from any scratches they might encounter.

Do exercises to loosen your fingers. From time to time, lift your arms right above your head, keeping them in this position till a count of ten. It helps in blood circulation.

Massage cream into the hands twice a day, once after your bath and again at night, before retiring. A mixture of sugar and lemon juice can be rubbed on the hands to soften the skin.

A piece of lemon can be kept next to your hand-washing soap and rubbed over your hands at least once a day, before washing.

For daily care, use a soft brush to clean the nails.

Once a week, file nails with an emery board, always working in the same direction.

Avoid back and forth movements and filing the corners of the nails.

Soak the fingers in warm oil (any vegetable oil will do). Then brush the nails, in warm soapy water. This will not only remove all the dirt but also nourish your nails and fingers.

After drying the hands

After drying the hands, push back cuticles with a cotton bud, or orange stick wrapped in cotton wool. Never cut the cuticles. For ridged nails, buff them frequently.

Finally, to protect yourself from sun tan, use a sunscreen with a high SPF of 20 or 25. You can mix gram flour (besan) with yogurt and a pinch of turmeric. Apply this on the hands, neck and feet. Keep it on for 15 minutes and remove by rubbing off gently. This can be a daily pre-bath treatment.