Skin in your 30s will only take about 1-2 seconds to recover after being pinched, but for severely aged skin, with a lot of collagen loss, it can take almost a minute to return to its original state.
Dr Brendan Khong - founder and medical director of Dr BK Cosmetic Clinic in London - says that thinning skin, wrinkles, fine lines and crow's feet, age spots, hyperpigmentation, dryness, loss of elasticity, and uneven skin tone are all signs of ageing that can show up on your hands.
"Hands are often overlooked when it comes to skincare. With less fat, thinner skin, and fewer sebaceous glands, hands tend to age faster," says Dr Brendan.
Experts suggest doing a small test that can somewhat assess the age of the skin on your hands. "Pinching the skin on your hands and seeing how long it takes for the skin to recover can assess the loss of elasticity of this area of skin, thereby determining the level of aging," the doctor said.
Place your palm on a flat surface, gently pinch the skin on the back of your hand for 5 seconds. Relax the skin and count how long it takes for the skin to return to a completely flat state.
1 - 2 seconds: The skin on your hands has a biological age of about 30 or younger.
3 - 4 seconds: corresponding to the biological age of a person aged 30 - 44.
5 - 9 seconds: slow elasticity, equivalent to a person aged 45 - 50.
10 - 15 seconds: corresponding to the skin's elasticity time at the age of 60 - 70.
35 - 55 seconds: This is the common elasticity time in people over 70 years old.
Although skin aging, including hand skin, is inevitable as the body ages over time. When you are 50 years old, you cannot have the same hands as when you were 20, however, paying attention to care can reduce the aging rate.
Dr. Brendan recommends limiting your hands' exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals: "Alcohol-based sanitizers can strip the skin of oils and moisture, leading to dryness, cracking, increased sensitivity, bleeding, and itching. Over time, this can lead to premature aging, wrinkles, and dry skin texture."
The expert also recommends getting into the habit of applying moisturizer to your hands, especially after washing your hands with soap and before bed. Dr. Brendan often uses a hand cream containing glycerin, panthenol, peptides, shea butter, ceramides, and SPF during the day.
The cosmetologist recommends protecting your hands from the sun and limiting the frequency of gel manicures to avoid exposure to UV rays from dryers. Along with caring for and protecting the skin from the outside, Brenda suggests limiting the consumption of sweets and processed foods to inhibit inflammation and slow down the aging process of the body in general.
(According to The Sun)