Useful!
If you’re not completely up to date with the latest beauty trends, that’s okay. More and more people now swear by red light therapy to maintain silky-soft, young hands. This would make your hands shine even without a manicure. But what is this actually true? We figured it out!
Hands can age faster
“The skin on the hands can be the first to show signs of aging,” says Dr. Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and medical director of Eudelo Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing. There are several reasons for this. “First, the skin on the hands is thinner than that on the face, making it more susceptible to aging. There is also very little fat on our hands, so the decrease in collagen and skin elasticity will be noticeable more quickly here.
In addition, the skin on the hands has fewer oil glands, which means they are often drier,” she explains. Our hands are also exposed to sunlight more than other parts of our skin. In addition to our fashionable gloves on cold days, we barely cover our hands. As a result, your hands may be prone to hyperpigmentation. So rubbing your hands can’t hurt anyway.
Red light therapy
After applying hand cream, preferably with an SPF, red light therapy also has positive effects on the skin. “While blue light kills the bacteria that cause acne, red light has an anti-inflammatory effect. And it also stimulates collagen production and the growth of new tissue,” says Williams. A combination of visible red light and infrared light is used in clinics.
Young hands
Dr Sophie Shotter, award-winning aesthetic doctor and founder of Illuminate Skin Clinic in Kent, says collagen production improves fine lines and wrinkles. For this reason it can be beneficial for the hands. According to Williams, there are more effective options to combat skin aging.
She says: “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against using it because of other benefits, for example the anti-inflammatory benefits of red light, or the antibacterial benefits of blue light. I’m just not a fan of continuously using it for anti-skin change purposes,” she says. “We don’t know enough about the long-term effect of the light. We already know that both blue and red light can cause irregular pigmentation with continuous use,” she explains. Apart from combating skin aging, using red light can also help with pain, inflammation and common joint disorders, Shotter assures.
In short: it has its pros and cons. In any case, rubbing a nice SPF on your hands won’t do any harm!
Source: Woman & Home | Image: Adobe Stock
