Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Truth About Your Neck & Hands

Ladies it's safe to say that we all tend to ignore our neck and hands while focusing all of our energy on perfecting our faces. However, the neck and hands age as well and require the same amount of TLC! Studies show that the hands are the second area people look to guesstimate a person's age (with the face being the first), and the neck seems to age faster than any other part of the body. We spend thousands of dollars per year on spa visits and the purchasing of facial cleaners and other skincare products targeted for the face, with hopes to achieve a fresher, younger looking face, all the while our hands and necks are continuing to age before our very own eyes. We can combat this process and stop the clock by taking on certain preventative methods.

For your Neck:
1. Moisturize your neck twice daily with the same effective moisturizer used on your face. How often do we totally neglect the neck and apply moisturizer to our face and bodies solely? It is essential to keep the neck hydrated. Select products that contain CynergyTK, Phytessence Wakame and Nano Lipobelle HEQ10.

2. Use retinoids or over the counter retinol once a week on your neck to increase collagen while improving texture. I recommend applying this at night beneath your moisturizer.

3. Take an omega-3 fatty acid food supplement daily to help augment missing nutrients in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are actually quite helpful in the production of growth hormones which promote collagen regeneration.

4. Remember to combat UV rays from the sun! Apply sunscreen to your neck for those longs days at the beach and days when the sun is at its brightest. It is perfectly acceptable to use a moisturizer that contains an SPF of 15 (at least) normally.

5. Try to eat as well as you possibly can. It is commonly accepted that refined foods like white flour, sugar and products made with them, and tea, coffee, and soft drinks contribute to wrinkles, and premature aging.

6. Lower your pillow. Sleeping with your neck extended instead of scrunched down into your chest can help you avoid neck creases and bands from forming.

For Your Hands:
1. Use a good quality sunscreen on your hands to prevent wrinkles and age spots. Your hands are constantly exposed to the sun and should NOT be ignored.

2. When you’re scrubbing pots and pans in hot water or cleaning with bleach, put on some rubber or latex gloves to keep the hot water and chemicals off your skin. In the cold winter weather, wear your gloves. PROTECT YOUR HANDS!

3. Exfoliate your hands at least bi-monthly to remove dead skin cells and keep them smooth. I also recommend sporadic paraffin wax hand treatments, they are to DIE for. During your next visit to the nail salon request one. Pamper yourself :)

4. Keep lotion in your bathroom and kitchen near the sink. It is essential to moisturize your hands after you have washed them throughout the day. Also, keep a travel size bottle of hand cream in your purse for when you are out and about during the day.

5. To keep your hands healthy, take adequate doses of Vitamins B complex, A, E and C. Vitamin B complex promotes healthy nails, skin and hair while Vitamin A helps to sustain and repair skin tissue. Vitamins E and C are mainly important in offsetting the damage caused by exposure to the sun.

6. A regular manicure will keep your nails healthy, moisturize your cuticles and give a younger look to your hands. You can do it either at the salon or at home. I have become quite amazing at performing manicures at home!

These recommendations, along with countless others, effectively prevent the aging of both the neck and hands. Always take care of yourself to the best of your ability. You only get one body so do right by it!

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