Wrinkles on the Hands: Causes, Treatments, Prevention

Most women aspire to have smooth, glowing hands, free of wrinkles. It makes you look and feel younger and more attractive. Are wrinkle-free hands impossible to achieve? What causes wrinkles on the hands? We will answer these questions for you.

Wrinkles on hands can be due to aging, dehydration, and health conditions such as eczema.

Doctors may prescribe a specific lotion, chemical peel, treatment for the health condition behind the wrinkling, or suggest fat fillers. Taking care of one’s skin is crucial in preventing wrinkles.

A wrinkle-free hand is not at all impossible, especially with commitment. Indeed, most people, both young and old, dislike wrinkles and the market for anti-aging products is worth 50+ billion dollars in the US alone.

Keep reading this article to know more about what you can do to prevent losing your smooth, glowing hands!

Table of Contents

What Are the Causes of Wrinkles on the Hands?

Wrinkles can leave your hands with creases, folds, and a texture and appearance that looks like “crepe paper.” While it is mainly associated with older people, other factors can cause wrinkling.

Wrinkles on hands mainly result from aging as the skin loses volume. Exposure to the sun and chemicals is also a contributing factor while dehydration can also induce wrinkling. Health conditions such as eczema, Raynaud’s disease, and even diabetes can lead to wrinkling on the hands too.

Aging Can Cause Hand Wrinkles

One of the significant signs of aging is skin wrinkling or the formation of creases and folds around the neck, arms, hands, face, etc.

According to a Cleveland Clinic article, over time, the fat and elasticity in our skin gradually reduces. This leads to a loss in volume, which causes the skin to become looser and thinner, thereby forming wrinkles.

A person’s skin structure also makes them less likely to form wrinkles than others, even as they age. Research from the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology indicates that Asian and Black people tend to have “thicker and more compact dermis” (tighter skin) and are, thus, less likely to show facial lines or wrinkles.

Exposure to the Sun and Chemicals Can Cause Hand Wrinkling

As the skin becomes looser and thinner over time, it’s less able to protect itself when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and other elements. These include chemicals in the soil or cigarette smoke.

UV rays can break down the structures that keep skin tight and elastic. This also explains why areas like the face and hands, which get exposed the most, tend to get wrinkles earlier and easier.

Exposure to the Sun and Chemicals Can Cause Hand Wrinkling
Exposure to the Sun and Chemicals Can Cause Hand Wrinkling

Meanwhile, chemicals can dehydrate or reduce blood going to the skin, leading to wrinkling. Thus, smokers or people who enjoy tanning or sunbathing tend to incur more damage and are more likely to suffer wrinkles.

People with a naturally higher amount of melanin (a skin pigment) are less vulnerable to skin damage from the sun. This explains why they tend to have fewer wrinkles. Caucasians, having less melanin than other ethnic races, are more vulnerable to aging due to the sun.

Dehydration Can Lead to Wrinkles on the Hands

One way to check if you are dehydrated is to pull back your skin and let it snap back into place. If it takes a bit too long, you’re dehydrated, and your skin is losing elasticity.

As the skin becomes less elastic, it shrivels and gets more wrinkles. Thus, hydration and moisturization are essential for healthy skincare.

Dehydration Can Lead to Wrinkles on the Hands
Dehydration Can Lead to Wrinkles on the Hands

Health Conditions Can Cause Your Hands to Wrinkle

A health condition that causes hand wrinkles is Raynaud’s disease. It makes you extremely vulnerable to cold and stress. This affects blood supply to your hands or fingers, leading to wrinkles.

Eczema is a skin condition that causes dry skin, leading to wrinkling. Diabetic people who get bacterial infections may also have wrinkles near their nails and fingers.

Other conditions prone to skin wrinkles are hypothyroidism, lymphedema, wrinkly skin syndrome, lupus, and scleroderma.

How Do You Treat Wrinkles on the Hands?

All is not lost if you have hand wrinkles. Treatment and following a doctor’s advice can help bring back youthful, smooth skin. See a doctor immediately if the creases and folds appear with other worrying symptoms like diarrhea or feeling weak.

Doctors may prescribe chemical peels and lotions with retinol to treat hand wrinkles. They may also suggest laser treatment, fat injections, and fillers. A treatment suited for the health condition causing the wrinkled skin is essential e.g., thyroid hormone pills for hypothyroidism.

Wrinkle creams are available over-the-counter (OTC) or prescribed by a doctor. OTC creams contain lower concentrations of ingredients like retinol and antioxidants, which help reduce wrinkles.

Fillers and fat injections help restore volume in the skin and keep it from getting loose. The fat injections can come from your body while fillers like calcium hydroxyapatite are available commercially. 

Make sure to protect your hands after treatment. This is to avoid further damage and the wrinkles coming back.

How Do You Treat Wrinkles on the Hands - Doctor Examining Hand of a Woman
How Do You Treat Wrinkles on the Hands – Doctor Examining Hand of a Woman

How Do You Prevent Wrinkles on the Hands?

Prevention is always better than cure. Besides, it is vital to take care of your skin while you are still young and less vulnerable to damage,

You need to care for and protect your hands to prevent wrinkles. Applying lotion and sunscreen and having a healthy lifestyle are the first crucial steps in prevention.

Use Lotion and Sunscreen Regularly to Prevent Wrinkles on The Hands
Use Lotion and Sunscreen Regularly to Prevent Wrinkles on The Hands

You also need to use gloves for specific work. Having skin treatments like chemical exfoliation may also help.

Here are some tips to help prevent hand wrinkles:

  • Use lotion and sunscreen regularly. Lotions are not just a beauty treatment; they also prevent wrinkles. They help add moisture to the skin, preventing it from getting dehydrated. Sunscreen helps prevent damage due to UV rays. Make it a habit to include your hands in your lotion and sunscreen routines.
  • Eating healthy foods, avoiding alcohol, and cigarettes. Antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids help keep your skin healthy and wrinkle-free. Avoiding alcohol and cigarettes will prevent dehydration and maintain proper blood supply and skin volume.
  • Protect your hands from chemicals and sun exposure. When working outdoors in the sun, e.g. when gardening, wear hand gloves. These can protect your hands from UV rays and chemicals in the soil.
  • Consider treatments such as dermablading and chemical exfoliation. These procedures remove a layer of skin. It results in better skin texture and quality.
Eating Healthy Foods Prevents Wrinkles on the Hands
Eating Healthy Foods Prevents Wrinkles on the Hands

Final Thoughts

Other factors besides aging can cause hand wrinkles. These include dehydration, exposure to the sun and elements, and health conditions like Raynaud’s disease. You can treat the wrinkles with prescribed lotions, fillers, injections, or treatment if a certain condition caused them.

Treatment should accompany proper skincare, which helps treat and prevent further wrinkling. Other ways to prevent hand wrinkles include consuming a healthy diet, hydration, and special treatments like chemical exfoliation.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed reading this article, you may want to check out Anti Aging: How to Reverse Your Skin Age Quickly and Safely and Discover 11 Amazing Cinnamon Benefits for Skin and Hair Health.

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