​Hands, feet, elbows, knees Get ‘em ready for their summer debut

What do those body parts all have in common? They are usually where people have trouble with itchy, rough, red or scaly skin.

Short-sleeves, skirts, shorts, and sandal season is upon us and you won’t be able to hide your hands in gloves; time to give a little attention to those parts we have covered up and neglected the past few months.

It’s not that difficult and you can get fast results with some simple attention, but I’ll also give you some suggestions for more stubborn cases.

Let’s start with the hands: Our hands reveal our age, often more accurately than the skin on our faces. As we get older, our skin overall thins and becomes less elastic due to collagen and fat loss, thus showing more wrinkles. (Why oh why does fat leave the places where we want to keep it and end up where we don’t want it? It’s one of the unfair mysteries of life!) Plus, we often don’t protect our hands from dish washing and housecleaning, and we use them for so many other harsh tasks.

And do we remember to put sunscreen on our hands? Not usually, even though the skin on our hands is just as susceptible to sun damage as our faces are (hello age spots).

People can get face-lifts, but to date, there is no such thing as a hand-lift, and cosmetic injectable fillers (like Juviderm or Radiesse) that are used to re-plump facial skin are not very effective on hands; neither are treatments like Thermage or UL Therapy. Retin-A and retinols don’t seem to help as much for the hands, either (though it can help some).

What you can do for your hands is to keep them exfoliated and moisturized, protect them from further sun damage with sunscreens like the Cotz products, and use age and sun spot fading products like Fade Bright Lightening. For dark, stubborn spots, lasers can help (and they might reduce some wrinkles on the hands as well). Be sure to use a skilled dermatologist or plastic surgeon for laser treatments.

Keep your hands smooth with exfoliating products like the Glycolic Peel Pads (which will also help lighten sun and age spots), and moisturize frequently with lots of moisturizers like Pure Virgin Shea Butter.

Keep your nails well-manicured; this will put the focus on your nails, not on your skin. Using a little olive oil on the cuticles will help moisture them, or Pure Emu Oil (my personal favorite for my cuticles) will keep them moisturized all day..

Your feet: Do you have cracked heels and tough callouses? There is a foot peel product on the market called Baby Foot (sold on Amazon.com), that is ONLY for use on your feet, and if you use it correctly, your feet will peel like molting snakeskin to reveal fresh skin; you’ll want to hide your feet for a few days while this peeling happens because it is intense (but not painful—I’ve done it). You might like to check out some YouTube videos showing how Baby Foot works to see what it does. *Another option for your feet is a Certified Chemical Peel right here. 

If you have more mild issues, using a rough foot file or pumice stone that you can get at drug and beauty supply stores will smooth out those rough spots, then follow the filing to get extra-smoothing with the Glycolic Peel Pads. Be sure to finish with lots of moisturizer and a good pedicure to show off your new, smooth feet.

For corns and nails that are so tough it seems you need hedge-clippers to cut them, or for ingrown toenails—don’t try to fix these problems yourself. Go to a podiatrist for professional assistance and removal. Some dermatologists also work with foot-skin and nail issues and your medical insurance might pay for the visit; call your dermatologist and ask if he or she handles foot corns and otherwise severely damaged skin on the feet. If they do, ask if the procedures are covered by your insurance.

If you have nail fungus on the nails and over-the-counter products don’t work for you, talk to your dermatologist or podiatrist for options (some even use lasers on fungus now).

There is no reason to suffer unsightly feet when you have do-it-yourself options, and doctor-office options that will let you proudly flaunt your feet in your favorite sandals!

For scaly elbows and knees, you can use a stronger peel product to remove dead skin, such as the 1-4-All Peel, which is layer-able in strength (from mild to strong). For calloused spots, use a nail file to gently smooth them out, then apply the peel. To keep the skin soft, you can apply the 25% Acid Triple Treat Body Lotion a few times a week on your elbows and/or knees—and the lotion is also great for the hands and feet and all over the body for extra exfoliation and smooth skin. You might also like trying the 15% Acid Glycolic and Lactic Body Wash as an alternative.

And of course, always finish your shower or bath with a great moisturizer. The Advanced Care Moisturizer with ceramides is great on the face and economical enough to use on your body as well.

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.

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