We live in a time when there are endless options—from at-home treatments to in-office procedures—that you can get for your body and face (there are even treatments for body parts like your ears and feet). But when it comes to your hands, they’re lucky if they get a little hand cream… until now. Hands are finally getting the attention they deserve.

“Patients who have invested a lot in their facial skin are starting to notice the disconnect,” says Antony Nakhla, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist and founder of Eighth Day. “Our hands are always visible and close to others during conversation. It makes sense that the focus is expanding to include them.”

Aging on our hands is similar to what happens elsewhere on our bodies. The difference is that our hands might show those signs much sooner. “They get more cumulative sun exposure and less consistent skincare than the face,” says Dr. Nakhla. “The loss of volume under the skin is also more noticeable on the hands because there’s less fat underneath to compensate, and structures like blood vessels, bones, and tendons become more prominent.”

Nicholas Brownstone, MD, a board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist at Mount Sinai, adds that external factors like UV exposure, pollution, smoking, diet, sleep, and alcohol can speed up those signs of aging. So, the ultimate hand care routine needs the following:

You Must Use SPF
Dr. Brownstone says dark spots are mostly caused by UV exposure and are probably the most common sign of photoaging. To protect the skin on your hands, you need to use sunscreen with SPF. “SPF is the non-negotiable starting point and the most neglected step,” agrees Dr. Nakhla. Just like you apply it to your face and other body parts, he recommends using SPF every morning and reapplying every two hours if your hands will be in the sun.

Use Anti-Aging Ingredients
According to Dr. Nakhla, the same anti-aging ingredients that work for your face will also work on your hands. He recommends retinoids to improve texture and tone while boosting collagen production, and peptides and growth factors to support skin renewal.

Support the Skin Barrier
Because we wash our hands more often than our face or other body parts during the day, Dr. Nakhla explains that the skin barrier on our hands gets disrupted frequently. So we need to focus on replacing lost moisture and use ingredients that consistently support the barrier. “It makes a difference,” he says. Look for ingredients that hydrate and support the skin barrier, like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. “They keep the skin functional and resilient,” he adds.

Avoid Fragrance and Alcohol in Hand Creams
If you have sensitive skin or your skin barrier is compromised, Dr. Nakhla suggests avoiding hand creams with heavy fragrance, as they can cause more irritation. “Repeated exposure to fragrance ingredients can lead to contact dermatitis and chronic irritation that worsens the skin over time,” he says. He also warns against alcohol-heavy formulas (the ones marketed as sanitizing or refreshing) because they can damage the barrier with repeated use, as well as creams with heavy, occlusive ingredients that only provide short-term comfort.

Wash With Gentle Soap and Lukewarm Water
Another thing to keep in mind isHere’s how you’re washing your hands. As Dr. Nakhla mentioned earlier, using harsh soaps and detergents when you wash your hands often can strip the skin’s barrier and cause damage over time. He also says hot water is more harmful than most people realize. So, choose gentle soaps and lukewarm water when you wash your hands.

Save to wishlist
Save to wishlist
Moroccanoil Hand Wash – $22 AMAZON
Save to wishlist
Save to wishlist
Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash – $47 AMAZON, $47 NORDSTROM

In-Office Treatments
Yes, you can use the same facial treatments on your hands—and there are plenty of options. “Hands respond well to in-office treatments, and the results can be significant,” says Dr. Nakhla. “They just tend to be an afterthought compared to the face.”

He points to filler, which we know can restore lost volume, and says it can be one of the most effective treatments for hands where tendons are more visible. IPL and laser resurfacing are great choices if you want to address pigmentation and improve overall skin quality (Dr. Brownstone likes using Miria for hand rejuvenation to treat texture changes, wrinkles, mild pigmentation, and skin laxity). Radiofrequency microneedling can help boost collagen production and smooth out uneven skin texture.

So, the ideal basic routine includes using an SPF in the morning, a barrier-supporting hand cream throughout the day, and a retinoid or some type of treatment product at night. Add a few lifestyle changes and include in-office treatments, and you’ll be all set.

Curious about a beauty or wellness trend? We want to know! Email Vogue’s senior beauty and wellness editor at beauty@vogue.com.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about making your hands look younger written in a natural tone with clear concise answers

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 Why do my hands look older than the rest of my body
Hands have very little fat and thin skin so they show volume loss wrinkles and age spots easily Theyre also constantly exposed to the sun and harsh chemicals like soap

2 What is the single most important thing I can do to prevent aging hands
Wear sunscreen on the back of your hands every single day even when its cloudy Sun damage is the number one cause of age spots and crepey skin

3 Can hand creams really make a difference
Yes but only if they contain active ingredients Look for creams with retinol hyaluronic acid or ceramides A basic moisturizer helps but it wont reverse signs of aging

4 How do I get rid of brown spots on my hands
You have several options Overthecounter brightening creams with vitamin C or kojic acid can help fade them slowly For faster results a dermatologist can use laser treatments chemical peels or cryotherapy

5 What are crepey hands and how do I fix them
Crepey skin looks thin wrinkled like crepe paper and lacks elasticity Its caused by sun damage and collagen loss The best fixes are daily sunscreen a retinol hand cream and keeping hands very wellhydrated

Advanced ProblemSolving Questions

6 My veins and tendons are very prominent Is there a way to hide them
Yes This is usually from lost fat volume A dermatologist can inject dermal fillers into the back of your hands to plump the skin and camouflage the veins Results last 612 months

7 Are there professional treatments that actually work for hand aging
Absolutely The most effective ones are
Sclerotherapy Injections that collapse bulging veins
LaserIPL Targets brown spots and broken capillaries