Aging hands: what you can do, from sun protection to a manicure

Anni Nails · 14 November 2026 · 7 min read

Hand with short, oval nails in glossy dark red, held by a hand in a white glove, with the stars of a string of fairy lights beside it, work by Anni Nails

If your hands are visibly aging, sun protection is the most important thing you can do yourself, because the sun plays a large part in making the skin on the backs of your hands thinner and blotchy over the years. Dermatologists advise applying sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to your hands every day and reapplying it after you wash your hands, and for dry skin, hand cream after washing and gloves for cleaning and gardening help. Paraffin therapy is pleasant care for dry skin, but it is not an anti-aging treatment. A spot that changes, grows or bleeds should be seen by a dermatologist.

Why the skin on the backs of your hands gets thinner over the years

Your hands are almost always uncovered, so over the years they get a lot of sun. In an article for the Skin Cancer Foundation, the New York dermatologist Julie Karen explains that with sun exposure and over time the skin becomes thinner and loses collagen and elasticity, and because the fat underneath diminishes too, the blood vessels stand out more. In her words, wrinkles, brown spots and changes in skin texture are largely down to sun damage (Skin Cancer Foundation: Helping Hands).

On top of that, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the professional association of dermatologists in the US, the skin holds less water as we age and therefore becomes drier (the AAD on what makes hands look younger). Nothing can be done about getting older itself, but you can change how much sun your hands get, and according to the AAD, applying sunscreen to your hands every day can prevent wrinkly skin there.

Sun protection: how to protect your hands from aging

The AAD advises applying a water-resistant sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection, meaning protection against UVA and UVB rays, and SPF 30 or higher to your hands every day before you go outside. In another AAD article, the dermatologist Diane Berson recommends applying sunscreen every day all year round to any skin that is not covered by clothing when you go out, your hands included, which means in winter as well (the AAD's skin care tips for hands).

With hands, the difficult part is reapplying, because we wash them all day long and seldom put sunscreen back on afterwards, as Julie Karen points out. She advises reapplying it on your hands more often than anywhere else and keeping a small tube in your handbag or a lightweight sunscreen stick in your jacket pocket for this. The Skin Cancer Foundation also reminds you to apply sunscreen to your hands, especially after washing them, and advises reapplying it in general every two hours and after swimming or sweating (the Skin Cancer Foundation on sun protection).

Your hands get sun in the car too, because according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, side and rear windows usually let UVA rays through, and according to the AAD, many dermatologists recommend wearing thin gloves with UV protection while driving.

If you wear gel polish, there is also the UV radiation used to harden it on the nail, and according to the AAD, repeated use can increase the risk of skin cancer and premature skin aging on the hands. The AAD therefore advises applying the sunscreen described above to your hands before a gel manicure, or putting on dark, opaque gloves with the fingertips cut off (the AAD on gel manicures).

Hand cream with sun protection

A hand cream with SPF is practical because care and protection go onto the skin in one step. As with any sunscreen for your hands, look for broad-spectrum protection and SPF 30 or higher, and put more on after washing your hands.

Preventing age spots on your hands and knowing what a spot may be

According to the AAD, age spots appear on areas that the sun often reaches, such as the face and hands, and they gradually get larger with age and with time spent in the sun. So when it comes to preventing them, sun protection is again the thing you can do yourself. Spots that have been lightened or removed at a dermatologist's practice can also come back, according to the AAD, which is why the skin should be protected from the sun afterwards as well (the AAD on age spots). Before a spot is treated, a dermatologist should look at it, because skin cancer can also look like an age spot.

According to the AAD, rough patches on the hands can be actinic keratoses, which are precancerous growths, some of which develop into skin cancer, and these too are best checked by a dermatologist. More generally, the AAD advises making an appointment with a dermatologist if you notice any of the following (the AAD on the warning signs of melanoma):

a new spot on your skin,
a spot that looks different from the others,
a spot that changes in size, shape or colour,
a spot that itches or bleeds.

Moisturising and gloves in everyday life

According to the AAD, hot water, cleaning products and gardening dry out the skin, which can age your hands, so the AAD advises wearing gloves for cleaning and gardening and moisturising your hands after washing them, bathing or showering, so that the cream holds the water in your skin. The AAD also says you should moisturise every time you use hand sanitiser, and Diane Berson recommends a hand cream or ointment without fragrance or dyes for this and advises moisturising more often in cold weather, especially when your hands have got wet.

What well-kept nails add to how your hands look

When people look at hands, they see the nails as well, and a hand looks well cared for at any age when the nails are short and evenly filed, the skin at the base of the nail is smooth and the polish has no chips. For this, you should neither cut your cuticles nor push them back hard, because the AAD advises against both to prevent infection, and if you want to push them back, do it only gently after a shower or bath (the AAD on manicure and pedicure safety). How to care for your cuticles instead is explained in the article Cutting your cuticles or not.

When it comes to colour, one calm shade on all your nails is the easiest to wear. Small chips at the edge hardly show on light and sheer shades, and a classic dark red looks neat as long as the edge is clean and the polish is renewed in good time. There is more on colours and shapes in the article Short nails that look natural. If a nail changes, swells or hurts, the AAD advises seeing a dermatologist about it (the AAD's tips for healthy nails).

Hand care at Anni Nails in Meidling

At Anni Nails, every treatment includes a personal consultation on caring for your nails and the skin of your hands. For dry and dehydrated hands there is "Paraffin Therapy for Hands", a spa treatment that takes about 30 minutes and costs €25. It includes a gentle scrub, a moisturising serum, a paraffin mask without hot baths and a nourishing cream mask, and it is meant to leave dry hands feeling soft and smooth afterwards, so it is care rather than a treatment for age spots or thinning skin. The article Paraffin treatment for hands explains who paraffin is not suitable for.

"Manicure (File / Classic)" is a classic manicure with files and nail care, which takes about 50 minutes and costs €40. For colour there is "Nail Polish", classic nail polish in the colour of your choice, which takes about 20 minutes and costs €10. Anastasia has been doing manicures for more than ten years and works only with short nails. If you have an allergy, a skin condition or any other health concerns, please say so before the treatment.

The studio at Schönbrunner Straße 253, 1120 Vienna, is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays on request. You will find all treatments and prices under Services and prices, and you can make an appointment online under Book an appointment.