Q: What can I do to take care of my hands to keep them youthful and support immunity through cold and flu season?

A: Hand care for youthful-looking skin and better immunity is critical. Sun damage in the form of lines, wrinkles, and dark spots (also called age, sun, and liver spots) can appear long after you have sworn off the sun. Veins become more apparent as we lose fat pads, and bruise-like blotches called actinic or solar purpura may appear on the back of hands, especially in those on blood thinners. Dryness, irritation, roughness, wrinkles, age spots, and loss of fat padding in the hands are worrisome, not just from a cosmetic standpoint. As skin is exposed to damaging free radicals, UV rays, environmental pollutants, repetitive hand washing, sanitizing, and the passage of time, it becomes thin, dry, and itchy, making it hard to retain moisture, compromising the skin’s protective barrier. Fall and winter weather combined with hypervigilant sanitizing and handwashing to protect us against seasonal illness can make us vulnerable to what we were trying to avoid. In addition to wearing gloves to shield against cold temperatures, we need to engage in hand care that prioritizes skin health to counteract its diminishing natural moisturizing capabilities as we age. To help you stay healthy and age gracefully, skincare for hands that treats them similarly to how we care for our faces can help renew their youthful appearance and maintain health and wellness. Here are several things you can do:

• Unless there is no other option, skip alcohol-based antibacterial gels that dry out the skin’s surface and damage the skin barrier.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with a sulfate free gentle cleanser to remove bacteria and impurities. (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate can strip away healthy oils and break down proteins in the skin, triggering premature signs of aging.) Use warm, not hot, water that strips away vital moisture, drying out the skin’s protective barrier and making you more vulnerable to germs and illness.
• For washing hands on the go, carry a travel-size natural skin cleanser or natural shower gel with you instead of using drying hand soaps in most public restrooms, and avoid hand dryers, which can dehydrate the surface of your skin.
• For aging concerns, keep a pro-aging natural skin cleanser on your counter at home for daily hand washing.
• Apply a Collagen hand cream with moisture-preserving Collagen Polypeptides and lipid-soluble Vitamin C immediately after washing to smooth the appearance of lines, boost luminosity, and strengthen the skin's protective barrier, addressing aging hand concerns.
• Apply an ocean safe sunscreen in the morning and repeat every two hours to protect your hands against UV rays, subsequent dark spots, and wrinkles. For optimal care, choose a formula with bluelight protection for added protection against wrinkles and dark spots if you are in front of a computer or cell phone all day.
• For extra dry hands, the best hand cream for dry skin will include moisturizing emollients Shea Butter, Safflower Seed Oil, and olive-derived Squalane to quickly repair, fortify, and protect against skin-thinning and environmental assaults. Despite “slugging” trends, skip the regular use of mineral oil and petroleum-based hand ointment formulas, which create an illusion of hydration, but may thin the skin and hasten signs of aging.
• Once or twice weekly, use a gentle exfoliating cleanser and/or Enzymo Sphérides Peeling Cream to smooth rough, dry patches. For more intensive exfoliation, alternate the Pevonia peeling cream with a natural exfoliating body scrub to pave the way for subsequent care.
• Follow with a Collagen face mask once or twice weekly to support protein production and address wrinkle concerns, and the Green Apple mask for skin tone and dark spot concerns. Finish with your hand moisturizer and sunscreen.
• For additional age defense, apply a resurfacing Retinol cream at night. For sun damage and aging with sensitivity, try “retinol sandwiching.”
• After the skin acclimates, add a Vitamin C serum beneath your hand cream in the morning and a Retinol serum at night for extra skin-renewing benefits.
• Wear protective gloves when cleaning, washing dishes, or doing other tasks that could harm your hands. This is especially important for purpura sufferers, who should also use a cream with arnica to help minimize visible bruising.
• At the end of the day, give your hands a rest from daily household and work duties, hobbies, and expressing yourself, stretch and massage them to keep them flexible. When hands hurt all the time from overuse or arthritis, ice them or try topical marine magnesium or tension relief gel to minimize discomfort.
• For stubborn roughness, dark spots, and wrinkles, visitFind A Spa to find a spa near you and ask for our Signature Hand Treatment, Rejuvenating Hand Treatment, Collagen & Caviar Hand Treatment, De-Aging Tropicale Hand Treatment, Lumafirm® Hand Treatment, Lacto-Flora Peel with Lightening Mask Enhancement, Peel & Recapture Micro-Retinol® Treatment, or YouthRenew™ Hydra-Glow Peel.
• Get irregular dark spots or any skin growths checked for skin cancer.

Q: I am thinking about getting a tattoo. Are tattoos bad for you? What do you suggest I do to stay safe and healthy?
A: With approximately 1/3rd of Americans having one tattoo and 1/5th having more than one, the rise in tattoo popularity is indisputable. But before making this permanent decision, it is crucial to understand how to care for a tattoo. “Are tattoos safe?” They can be if you find a reputable artist who uses new, sterile needles and thoroughly sterilizes tattoo equipment, and you follow the proper aftercare. Remember, the tattoo needle must puncture the skin to deposit ink deeply enough to create a lasting design. Any time you break the skin (your body’s protective barrier against environmental assaults), infections are possible. While infections only occur in roughly 1-5% of recipients, tattoos can cause allergic reactions exhibited by an itchy rash in those sensitive to blue, green, red, and yellow dyes. This complication has even occurred long after the tattoo procedure. If under a physician’s care for medical conditions, speak to your doctor before getting a tattoo. In general, people with diabetes, HIV or other autoimmune issues, eczema, psoriasis, or those on blood thinners are not good candidates. Sarcoidosis, for example, is an autoimmune disease manifesting in bumps that a tattoo may trigger. If you decide to proceed, there are some general guidelines for how to take care of a tattoo. Instructions on how to keep a tattoo clean vary according to the type of aftercare bandage tattoo artists use. Some use plastic wrap to protect their work, shield against bacteria, dirt, and friction, and aid healing, while others prefer medical-grade, breathable SecondSkin or Saniderm. Here are some recommendations, but follow your artist’s and manufacturer’s instructions for how to keep a tattoo from getting infected:

• Leave initial aftercare plastic wrap on from 1 to 3 hours, or 24 hours with Saniderm and 24-36 hours with SecondSkin.
• Wash hands with an antibacterial soap, rinse, and remove the bandage or special film barrier. Cleanse the area with warm water and soap recommended for tattoos that will cut through the Petroleum Jelly without wiping, as it can cause bleeding and irritation. Make sure you choose a gentle cleanser free of fragrances, dyes, exfoliants, acids, and other harsh chemicals. Some sources advise against aloe as it can cause itching or stinging, however, others recommend it. Then, proceed according to the type of bandage used.
• How to care for tattoo after removing plastic wrap: Dry by gently tapping with a clean paper towel and letting the tattoo air dry. Some advise holding off on moisturizer until the next day to allow the tattoo to begin healing and form a light scab. Others say to replace the bandage and continue wearing the wrap for 3-4 days, indicating that failure to keep your new design under wraps at this time can cause color loss and touch-ups.

How to care for tattoo after removing SecondSkin: To ease the removal process, use warm soap and water to help lift the edges and gently remove. Follow the cleansing recommended above, replace the bandage, and continue to wear it for 3-4 days. How to care for tattoo after removing Saniderm: The difference with this bandage is that after cleansing, the manufacturer advises it to be worn for six days. After this, it will flake as part of the healing process. How to keep a tattoo from fading and preserve its appearance is another common concern. Unfortunately, as you age and wrinkles, elasticity loss, and skin discoloration occur, tattoos also age. Colors fade, lines blur, and details get less sharp. However, here are some tips on how to maintain a tattoo after getting it to keep it looking better for longer:

• Faithfully use soothing moisturizer or gel and sunscreen daily  –Skip mineral oil and petroleum-based formulas that can fade ink and use those with aloe, amino acids, safflower seed oil, and shea butter to promote calming repair after tattooing. Choose a broader protection sunscreen with SPF 40+ for defense against UVA/UVB rays and blue light protection against light emitted from phones, tablets, and computer screens. Apply fifteen to thirty minutes before heading outdoors.
• Swear off tanning beds – Aside from increasing the chances of developing skin cancer, they fade tattoos and can trigger a painful reaction.
• Get checked out – If the skin around your tattoo changes or you suspect something does not look right, have a dermatologist check it out.
• Eat right – A healthy diet with anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, and foods with healthy fats, and staying hydrated with plenty of water will encourage quicker, better healing. Limit inflammatory processed foods and alcohol.

Note: These are just guidelines, so ask your tattoo artist what they recommend to preserve their work.