It’s no secret that many women like to pamper and preen themselves, but that doesn’t mean men can’t do it too. There’s nothing unmanly about taking good care of yourself, so why not start with your hands by following these seven useful tips?
- Wash and sanitize
The next time you take a romantic stroll with your partner or share a box of popcorn at the cinema, make sure your hands are properly washed and sanitised. In fact, make sure they’re sparkling clean all the time as scrubbing your hands regularly will not only reduce the bacteria on your skin but it’ll also prevent you passing a nasty bug onto a loved one through crossed contamination. Hot soapy water should do the trick but it’s also worth purchasing hand sanitiser from the likes of Brosch.
- Moisturise
If your skin is a little on the rough side, try moisturising every time you wash your hands. A decent hand cream will not only lock in moisture (particularly if they contain ingredients such as oils and petroleum jelly) but will also banish rough patches and leave your skin shining. Try to go for a cream that’s thicker than your average body lotion as hands need a little more TLC.
- Apply a sun cream
When looking for a moisturiser, choose one with a sun protection factor of at least 15, or simply swap moisturiser for a standard sun cream. This is especially important if you’re going outdoors or work outside during the summer as it can stop your skin from burning. That said, it’s a good idea to wear sun cream all year round anyway to protect against harmful UV rays and lower your risk of skin cancer.
- Exfoliate
Exfoliating your hands once a week will help get rid of dead skin cells blocking your pores and should leave your skin looking fresh and rejuvenated. To do this, buy an abrasive exfoliation sponge and rub your hands in small circles – pretend you’re buffing your car if you feel too girly. Don’t want to buy an expensive product? Then check out these homemade exfoliating scrubs.
- Trim your nails
Long nails can look dirty and unsightly, so keep them at a reasonable length using the right tools. Avoid biting them if you can help it (as your nails are laden with germs) and instead cut them with clippers before filing to get rid of rough edges. If you’re in the mood, you can also use a cuticle tool to push back the skin at the base of your nail, however, only do this after bathing as the skin will be softer.
- Wax your fingers
If you’re hairy and proud you might want to skip this step, but if you like to be soft and smooth all over then waxing your fingers is a must – after all it’s bound to look a bit weird if your chest is as soft as a baby’s bum but you have gorilla hands. This might be a little painful at first but pull the strips off quickly and the stinging sensation should be minimal. Apply a cooling spray if it all gets a bit much.
- Visit the doctors
Whether you’ve got ingrown nails that have become infected or have a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema that you can’t get rid of, it’s wise to see a doctor. Medical professionals will be able to advise you what to do and prescribe treatments for your condition and skin type. There’s plenty of help available these days, so don’t suffer in silence.
You could have beautiful hands in no time, so why not give these tips a go?