Your Hands Age First—Here’s How to Treat Them and Restore Softness

Hand anti-aging tips from skin care pros.

Given how much we use our hands every single day, it’s no wonder we feel uncomfortable—perhaps even a little self-conscious—the second they start feeling rough, dry, or cracked. Rough hands happen when the skin barrier becomes compromised, which ultimately leads to moisture loss and unprotected exposure to the elements.

This is more apt to happen when the weather is dry and cold, if you’re washing your hands more frequently, or if you’re working in conditions with abrasive materials. Fear not. We spoke to skin care pros about common causes of rough hands and how to restore softness.

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What Causes Dry, Rough Hands?

Rough hands are caused by a combination of both environmental conditions—like dry air from heating or cold, blustery wind—and personal routine habits like overwashing and not moisturizing enough.

• Liquid Soaps & Detergents: “Many liquid soaps contain the drying chemical sodium lauryl sulfate, which when used on the skin too often, combined with harsh, cold weather, leads to extremely dehydrated hands,” notes Dendy Engelman, MD, board-certified dermatologist.

• Over-Washing: Even washing with gentle, sulfate-free soaps can lead to dry, rough hands. “Frequent exposure to water, especially very hot water, strips our skin barrier, removing our natural lipids that help seal in moisture, leading to transepidermal water loss,” explains Ryan Turner, MD, FAAD, a board-certified NYC dermatologist.

• Working with Your Hands: “Certain jobs that require you to work with your hands—whether that’s more manual labor or housekeeping or even working in a hair salon—can expose your hands to harsh chemicals that can leave skin irritated and dry,” Dr. Turner notes.

• Dry Air: When the air is dry, everything else gets dry, too. That includes your hair, body, and yep—hands. Cold winter weather and wind leads to dry air, and indoor heating is notoriously drying, too.

• Eczema: Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition “that can leave skin inflamed, itchy, tender, and dry, which can lead to peeling and rough texture,” says Dr. Turner. Eczema

How to Soften Rough Hands

The best thing you can do to treat rough hands is get serious about moisturizing, adding hydration to the air when possible, and being mindful of how you wash your hands.

Avoid Excessively Hot Water

Steamy showers and washing hands with hot water might feel good in the moment—especially in chilly winter weather—but these habits aren’t doing rough hands any favors. Edyta Jarosz, esthetician at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue, says to avoid prolonged exposure to hot water and to stick to mild temperatures instead.

Skip Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizers are convenient on-the-go, but Dr. Turner says that if you’re dealing with rough hands you shouldn’t use them frequently. “Hand sanitizers use high concentrations of alcohol to purify the hands, and alcohol is extremely stripping,” he says. “Instead, wash your hands with moisturizing formulas using very warm, not hot, water.”

Don’t Rub Your Hands to Dry

Rather than rubbing hands with a towel to soak up extra moisture, Dr. Turner suggests gently patting them dry, instead. Rubbing has an exfoliating effect, which strips away the outermost layer of skin cells.

Rinse After Using Exfoliants

If you apply skincare ingredients to your face with exfoliating properties, such as retinoids, alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs), and enzymes, make sure you rinse these from your hands immediately after. Exfoliating dry, rough hands will only make things worse.

Apply Thick Hand Creams

Dr. Engelman says that using a thick, moisturizing hand cream is one of the best ways you can soften rough hands. After washing, always follow up with a hydrating hand cream, and keep a travel-size hand cream in your bag, car, or at your desk so you can moisturize as needed. In the winter months, you may find you need to moisturize more often than what you’re used to.

Some good options include L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream for Dry Skin ($13, Ulta), Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream ($8.99, Target), and O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream ($11.33, Amazon).

Drink Up

Applying hand creams is important, of course, but also think about what you’re putting into your body, too. “To soothe and moisturize dry, rough hands, focus on hydrating from within by drinking water,” Jarosz says. Aim for eight glasses a day.

Try Intensive Overnight Treatments

You can do this easily by applying your thickest hand creams before bed, then sliding on a pair of thin cotton gloves. Though it can be a bit strange to get used to, using a protective layer like gloves over a rich cream will help seal in moisture without getting product all over your sheets. You’ll wake up with much softer and smoother hands.

Wear Gloves

One of the best defenses against rough hands is to cover them completely when it makes sense. Jarosz recommends wearing winter gloves when you’re outside (apply a moisturizer first to double down on the hydration), and to wear cleaning gloves when handling detergents and chemicals, cleaning, or washing dishes.

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