While we’re all religiously double-cleansing, layering serums, and investing in peptide treatments for our faces, our hands are lucky to catch the occasional guilt-induced slather of leftover moisturiser. You know, that hasty palm rub when you’ve pumped out slightly too much of your most expensive face cream?

In fact, signs of ageing often appear on our hands long before they show on our face and neck. While we’re busy obsessing over crow’s feet and smile lines, our hands are quietly collecting sun spots and losing their plumpness.

Dr Hassan Galadari, renowned dermatologist and founder of Galadari Derma Clinic, explains why our hands are such early betrayers of age. “Our hands are often one of the first areas where signs of ageing become noticeable, even before the neck and face,” he says. “This is because the skin on the hands is thinner and more delicate, with less fat beneath the surface.”

So, what exactly are we looking at? Tell-tale signs include thinning skin, where veins and tendons become more prominent – a process Dr Galadari attributes to declining collagen and elastin production. Then there’s the appearance of age spots, those stubborn brown marks that seem to multiply with each passing summer. “Sun exposure plays a significant role in speeding up this process,” he notes, “as the backs of the hands are often left unprotected by sunscreen, leading to age spots and uneven skin tone.”

Although these changes are a natural part of life, modern aesthetics has some impressive tricks up its sleeve. Dr Galadari is particularly excited about certain treatments. “Professional treatments like Morpheus8 Burst are excellent for addressing skin laxity,” he says. “This treatment combines microneedling with radio-frequency energy to stimulate collagen production deep within the skin.”

For those battling pigmentation, he recommends Lumecca Peak – “It is a powerful IPL (Intense pulsed light) device that targets pigmentation and discolouration, delivering more precise, brighter, and even-toned skin.” And let’s not forget the tried-and-true chemical peel, which he notes is particularly effective for “addressing pigmentation and promoting skin renewal”.

The key, according to Dr Galadari, lies in combination treatments. “A combination of professional treatments like Morpheus8 Burst – Resurfacing Tip with Lumecca Peak and personalised skincare can restore and maintain youthful, healthy-looking hands.” 

After all, if we’re going to wage war against time, we might as well bring out the big guns.

Treatments to try:

Morpheus8 Burst: This advanced treatment combines microneedling with radio-frequency energy to address crepiness and skin laxity. 

Lumecca Peak: A powerful IPL device specifically designed to target pigmentation and discolouration. 

Dermal fillers: These injectable gels, typically made of hyaluronic acid, can restore lost volume and plump up the skin. 

Chemical peels: These treatments exfoliate the top layers of skin, revealing smoother, younger-looking skin underneath. 

Microdermabrasion: This minimally invasive procedure uses a special instrument to gently exfoliate the skin, improving texture and reducing the appearance of fine lines and age spots.