ADVICE FOR BEAUTIFUL HANDS

It is no wonder hands and nails age fast when you add up how many times they are dunked in water, drenched with chemical cleaning products and baked in the sun with no protection. The skin on your hands is also thinner than than on your face, so there is less fat to disguise wrinkles and veins, and less moisture to keep your skin hydrated: a recipe for accelerated ageing.

Nail problems
Nails are a great barometer of health and can show up many nutritional deficiencies. Cereals, brown rice, eggs lentils, peas, nuts and leafy green vegetables are all important for nail health, as they are rich in B vitamins. And don't forget essential fatty acids, which nourish nails from the inside.

What your nails are telling you

• White spots show a lack of zinc, not calcium as is often thought. Foods high in zinc include walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, oily fish, linseed and sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. White spots can also mean your intake of sugar, alcohol and/or junk food is too high.
• Brittle, splitting nails are a sigh of silica deficiency (silica is found in all high-fibre foods, vegetables and wholegrain).
• Soft, peeling nails signal calcium deficiency. Up your calcium intake by eating cheese, milk, yoghurt, broccoli and spinach.
• Longitudinal ridges can be a sign of low stomach acid. try drinking a glass of warm water with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of lemon every morning.
• Horizontal ridges are down to a lack of calcium (see above) and/or magnesium (find it in milk, yoghurt, artichokes and wholemeal bread). They can also denote a too-high stress level.

How to stop your hands giving your age away
These advice for beautiful hands and nails after a certain age.

• Shorter, well-groomed nails are far more flattering on older hands than long talons. The best shape is a round oval, which follows the shape of your half-moon.
• Nails get thicker and harder as you age, so it is unlikely you will need a strengthening product. Instead, aim to replace lost moisture by soaking your nails in oil (try jojoba, olive or almond oil) once or twice a week. Warm the oil in a saucer placed over a pan of boiling water, and then pour into a cup before soaking for 10 minutes.
• To double the effect, soak your nails last thing at night, then massage the oil into your hands, put on a pair of cotton gloves and go to bed. You will be amazed how soft your skin feels in the morning.
• A quick and easy way to give your hands the heat experience is to keep your hand cream by a radiator.
• Use a hand cream with an SPF 15 to protect your hands from age spots caused by UV exposure. You may even find existing sun spots begin to fade, as some sun damage can be reversed once skin is no longer exposed.
• To remove yellow stains from your nails (these are caused by wearing coloured polish with no base coat, and smoking), soak them in a cup of warm water and the juice of one lemon for 15 minutes.
• Wear rubber gloves when doing the washing up or housecleaning, gardening gloves once the temperature drops, to protect hands from the dehydrating cold and wind.
• Rather than buffing, which removes layers of nail, massage a cuticle oil or cream into your nails and cuticles daily. This will do the same job of increasing circulation and growth.
• Multi-task by applying cream, putting on a pair of disposable gloves and then popping your rubber gloves over the top. The hear generated while your wash up will encourage the moisture to sink in and leave your hands super-soft.
• If protruding veins are a problem, hold up your hands and shake, bring them own and repeat three times. This will release the veins - it is a favourite with celebrities before they step out onto the red carpet.
• As we get older, women often choose nude or brown-based shades of polish, but these are not good on older skins. far more flattering are strong sheers or a full-on bright shade.