HANDS

Graceful, silky hands and beautiful nails are much prized physical attributes. Supple hands and trim, healthy nails speak volumes about your state of health and personal grooming, whereas neglected hands let the side down; they not only create a poor impression, they belie your age.

We notice each other's hands almost unconsciously because they are used extensively in communication. What impression do your hands make? Do they convey confidence? Bitten nails or torn cuticles are a dead giveaway of a lack of confidence, while hands that are simply and well manicured suggests a person who pays attention to detail and is organized enough to get even the smallest things done.

Your hands are in the front line and bear the brunt of any rough handling, so they deserve care and attention. There is so much that contributes to beautiful hands, but the wonderful aspect of nail technology today is that you no longer need to be genetically programmed to have a beautiful set of nails.

Hand Surfaces
Your skin is your first line of defence against the outside world: it warms you, warns other body systems of invaders, and excretes bodily fluids. It is a waterproof, washable and flexible substance that can mend and renew itself. The skin that covers your hands, in particular, functions as a protective shield and is also the focus of your sense of touch.

With rich nerve endings, the skin responds to myriad sensations. Discreetly placed oil glands secrete sebum (a fatty, oily substance) to moisturize and waterproof your skin, while sweat glands excrete toxins to help regulate body heat. Thousands of sensitive nerve endings are embedded in the skin, especially in the finger pads. Ultrasensitive receptors allow you to perceive touch, pressure, warmth and pain, and combinations of these senses expand your perceptions to include ticklishness, wetness and hardness, as well as surface texture, form, force and weight.

The Epidermis
The skin comprises three layers. The outermost protective layer is the epidermis. It comprises five layers, including the stratum corneum, which is made of tightly packed, scale-like cells that are constantly being shed and replaced by cells from below as they move to the surface. You lose thousands of dead skin cells every time you scratch, rub or wash your hands. The tough cells in this horny layer from a shield that protects the delicate living cells underneath from infection or injury. They contain a waxy, waterproof protein called keratin, which makes up skin, nails and hair. A thin coating of oil, or sebum, helps keep the outermost layer pliable, soft and waterproof.

The epidermis is the first line of defence for the body's immune system. With a pH balance of 5.0, it forms an acid shield (mantle) that keeps out harmful substances, protects against injury, dryness and infections, and prevents moisture loss. The epidermis on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet is thicker than elsewhere.

The lowest layer of the epidermis, or basal layer, is where the skin pigment melanin is formed by melanocyte cells. Melanin determines the intensity of your particular shade of skin according to your genetic make-up.

Differences i skin colour are the result of the amount, type and arrangement of the melanin in the epidermis. Melanin is designed to absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun, thereby protecting you from its harmful effects, which include ageing, loss of elasticity and pigmentation. The darker your skin colour, the more melanin is present and the better your body can adapt to sun exposure.

LAYERS OF SKIN

The Dermis
This is a spongy, closely woven network of connective tissue that is thicker than the epidermis and lies underneath it. It breaks down and renews itself constantly.

Its major components include the proteins collagen (for structure) and elastin (for elasticity). Tough protein fibres in the dermis give the skin its tensile strength and bulk. The dermis also contains scattered blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerve endings, hair follicles and glands connected with the epidermis. It is directly connected to the nervous system, glands that produce sebum and sweat, lymph vessels, and 25 per cent of the body's blood supply.

Thousands of tiny projections called papillae jut up from the dermis into microscopic pits in the bottom of the epidermis. Papillae grouped in rows form the ridges on your fingers, giving you a distinctive set of fingerprints. Each papilla has a rich supply of tiny capillaries, or blood vessels, that bring nourishment to growing skin and regulate heat loss from your body. Papillae also contain nerve endings that are sensitive to touch.

Subcutaneous Layer
Situated beneath the epidermis and dermis is the third of the skin's primary layers -a protective layer of fat that also contains large blood vessels

The Back Of The Hand
The skin on the back of your hand, called the dorsal skin, is pliable and easily pinched or pulled away from the underlying tissue. Without this suppleness, your fingers would be unable to flex and move. Notice the fine, soft hairs on the back of your hand - about 15 to 20 hairs per square centimetre. These are important as protective warning devices; when hairs are bent, follicles on the skin's surface activate sensitive touch receptors.














Skin on the back of the hand is thin and pliable.

Palmistry uses the fleshy mounts on the plam to indicate charater traits



The Palm
Rich in sensory receptors, and supplied with sweat glands to help lower your body's temperature and eliminate toxins, the skin on the palm of your hand is thick and hairless. It is usually referred to as volar skin. This skin is not as flexible as the skin on the back of your hand and is more tightly connected.

Sweat glands in the palms lubricate the skin, enhancing your ability to touch and grasp objects.