May sunlight does not feel as fierce as July's. Yet the back of the hand resting on a steering wheel, the fingers around a bicycle grip, the hands raised to peg out washing: all of them begin receiving serious amounts of UV light from this time of year. Many people who never leave the house without sunscreen on their face still leave their hands bare.
A change of colour on the back of the hand can seem to appear overnight. In reality it is a record of UV exposure accumulated over a long time. Taking the term photo-ageing as a starting point, this article sets out how UV light relates to spots on the backs of the hands, and what prevention can begin today.
The idea of photo-ageing
Skin ageing caused by continued exposure to UV light is called photo-ageing. It is distinguished from the changes that come with the years alone and is understood to advance in proportion to the UV received. Besides loss of firmness and wrinkles, it is a cause of spots.
Spots on the face are discussed often; the same process is at work on the back of the hand. The difference is that the hands have been receiving light, unprotected, for far longer.
The hands are not covered by clothing and are exposed to the open air all day. They are therefore considered to receive more UV than the face, and most of the spots on the backs of the hands are attributed to UV light. One of the most common signs of photo-ageing shows up precisely there.
Why the hands are left until last
The face is the part of us we meet in the mirror every morning, and sunscreen there has become part of getting ready. The hands are another matter. There is no mirror moment for them, and whatever is applied comes off at the next wash. This single fact, that it washes off, is what makes sun protection for the hands so difficult.
Even on days spent at home, the hands catch the sun: taking out the rubbish, hanging the laundry, reading by a window, tending plants on the balcony. Short exposures accumulate on the back of the hand without ever registering. Sunlight through a car window while driving is another moment that tends to be overlooked.
Sunscreen and moisturising: two different roles
The basics: every morning, then reapply
Sun protection for the hands starts the same way as for the face and body, with an application every morning. A broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, protecting against both UVA and UVB, is the usual guide. When time is spent outdoors, reapply roughly every two hours.
Quantity deserves a second look as well. Use roughly as much as you would for the face, spread across the backs of both hands and along the fingers. The inside of the wrist and the skin between the fingers are easy to miss; a final check of those places reduces the gaps.
Because sunscreen leaves the hands with every wash, reapplication matters even more here than elsewhere. Keeping a tube by the front door, another in the car and a third in a bag makes it easier to reapply after washing. For long drives or cycling, gloves are an option. A parasol shades the face, but the hands holding a handlebar fall outside its shadow.
What moisturising contributes
Where sunscreen protects against UV, moisturising prevents dryness and keeps the skin in good condition. The back of a hand that has been in the sun tends towards dryness and dullness, and when the skin's texture is disturbed, clarity is lost too. Washing the hands on returning home and replenishing moisture is, alongside sun protection, the foundation that supports the impression the hands make.
On a day spent in the sun, the back of the hand often feels drier than usual by evening. Give the night-time application a little more care, concentrating on the back of the hand and taking time to work it in, and the difference is noticeable the next morning. Preventing dryness is the groundwork for keeping the skin of the hands healthy.
Soie's hand serum has no UV-protective function. During the day, apply your own sunscreen to the backs of the hands; after coming home, wash and moisturise. The two have different roles, and neither can stand in for the other.
When a change concerns you, see a dermatologist
What cosmetics can do is protect against UV, prevent dryness and keep the skin healthy. Changing a mark that is already there is not the role of a cosmetic product.
If a rough patch does not respond to moisturising, if an area has changed in shape or colour, or if a spot persists and concerns you, do not rely on your own judgement; consult a dermatologist. Asking for a professional opinion when a change persists is itself part of looking after the hands well.
How Soie approaches it
Soie regards the hands as a subject of beauty care in the same way as the face. If you apply sunscreen to your face, apply it to the backs of your hands. If you moisturise after washing your face, moisturise your hands too. Enlight Hand Serum, a beauty serum designed only for the hands, grows out of this way of thinking. Worked from the back of the hand to the fingertips and around the nails, it leaves no stickiness, which makes it easy to use before sunscreen is reapplied.
Today's UV does not show on today's hands. That is exactly why prevention is a gift to the hands of the future. For the practical situations of summer, see sun protection for the hands in summer; for questions about spots on the hands, our hand beauty Q&A may help.
