The 'ageing' mistake women make when doing their nails that can cause wrinkly hands
How you get your nails done can affect ageing
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Sunscreen is one of the most useful tools to fight against signs of ageing, but this needs to be applied to more than just your face and body.
An expert said it is important to put it on your hands, especially when getting your nails done.
Skin Cancer Organisation said: "To play it safe with gel manicures, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen to hands 20 minutes before your hands are exposed to UV light.
"However, even this precaution does not protect against subungual (under the nail) squamous cell carcinoma, a rare but potentially aggressive form of skin cancer."
UV rays can cause wrinkles on the skin
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Not doing this can risk your health and affect the appearance of your hands. Clinic Lead at Face the Future Kimberley Medd said UV lamps used at nail salons can make you look older.
She explained: "Long-term use of UV lamps can be problematic for premature ageing. UV light has long been linked to damaging DNA by causing cell mutations, which can play a key role in the development of different types of skin cancer.
"LED/UV lamps for gel manicures both emit UV, predominantly UVA which is linked to signs of ageing, and as a result, the hands are exposed to this additional concentration of UV exposure on top of the every day."
The skin on our hands is thin, so getting so much UV exposure close up can cause lots of problems.
Kimberley added: "The main signs of ageing on hands are through age spots and wrinkles, both of which can be accelerated with UV exposure.
"UV lamps are especially problematic for the hands because the skin in that part of your body is thinner than in other areas, which means it's quicker to lose elasticity and show signs of ageing.
"It's known that our hands age faster than our faces - often a forgotten area to apply sun protection and to treat in your every day skin care routine."
To combat this, using an SPF of at least 30 is a good way to protect from this. UV gloves are also an option.
The expert said: "Protection is key to prevention when it comes to our hands, so if you regularly get your nails done, consider wearing SPF on your hands before use of the gel curing lamp.
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Wrinkly hands can often give away someone's age
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"You can also go one step further in wearing UV gloves which are fingerless.
"These precautions are particularly important for people who get manicures regularly as the effect of UV is cumulative, meaning your UV exposure level only gets worse each time.
"I recommend keeping a 'handy' SPF in your bag so you can top up throughout the day as needed.
"Our hands go through a lot of stressors with brushing against surfaces all day long, so not only will you be nourishing your hands with hydrating properties of an SPF, you'll also be protecting them against UV exposures - both environmental and lifestyle induced."
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