Are your hands ageing you? Here are the tell-tale signs

I’ve never had pretty hands. I am double jointed for starters, which means my fingers contort into inelegant angles. My nails are incapable of growing to a ladylike length without peeling and breaking, and my cuticles are chronically dry. Then there’s a couple of unappetising scars incurred from an ironing burn and a roadside jogging collision with a Cockapoo. Throw in the ageing process of increased dryness, pigmentation and some wrinkling and it’s fair to say that my hands are my biggest age giveaway.

This never used to bother me for two reasons: There’s always Shellac, which offers the diversionary tactics of cheerful glossy nails for at least a fortnight. And, because a large chunk of my day is spent typing, high maintenance talons would only get in the way. Plus, as the skin on my face is fairly resilient, I can cope with a few imperfections elsewhere. In other words, I’d reconciled my aspirations for beautiful hands a long time ago.

Yet, the current mood of self-care has nudged me in a new direction. It started with a hint from my manicurist. ‘Maybe you should have a break from gel manicures for a while,’ she said with a half-smile when she copped the state of my parched nail beds and sore, dry cuticles. At the time, I felt defensive; Like a dear friend had squeamishly suggested I might consider going up a jean size. But, the truth hurts. Point taken.

Is gel bad for your nails?

CND Shellac and its competitor brands Gellish, Artistic and Daisy, is a gel manicure system that cures the polish with UV light, absolving the need for annoying drying time and reducing the chance of chips. In my opinion, it’s brilliant, so long as you have decent nails to begin with and you have it removed professionally. Yet, if I am to take on the task of sorting out my shabby nails once and for all, a back to basics approach is in order before commencing with another cover-up job.

When putting your nails and hands through rehab, it’s worth hacking the tips adopted by friends who possess perennially immaculate nails. Therefore, I put in a call to former colleague Lauren Murdoch-Smith, Beauty & Lifestyle Editor at Vogue and trained CND nail technician. Murdoch-Smith’s nails are such a thing of beauty, she could easily have been a hand model. Part of this is genetics. Unlike mine, her fingers are dainty and her nail beds are long and elegant. But, I have to give the girl props. Having worked next to her for two years, she puts in the work. Her advice is as follows: ‘To avoid and repair nail damage, hydration is everything.’ Her to-do list involves a regular application of oil and to religiously apply cream after I wash my hands. Furthermore, I’m told to wear washing up gloves when doing the dishes and to use a good base coat and top coat to protect my nails. Beauty Pie Wonderlayer Diamond Base Coat and Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, £9.95 (above) make my cut.

The best hand creams

I’ve never been a huge fan of hand creams as many leave my skin feeling greasy. However, everyone I speak to assures me this is as ridiculous as avoiding facial moisturiser. So, after doing my research I landed on three I look forward to applying. To target scars, I was recommended DNA Scar Therapy scar treatment cream. Designed by a facial plastic surgeon, it contains active DNA repair enzymes that mend damaged skin cells and help new skin to grow. I keep this by my desk and apply it each morning when I begin work and in the evening when I finish. Though my scars haven’t vanished, they have faded considerably.

For every day, I keep Chanel Precision Body Excellence Nourishing Hand Cream, £60, in my handbag. I’ve found this to be as good as it gets at instantly abating dryness without the slippery feel of some lotions. I’m all about convenience and so I appreciate the lightweight tube and twist top that never accidentally opens in transport, which if you value your bag, is worth noting.

For those telltale signs of ageing, Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Hand and Nail Treatment, £39, ticks all the boxes. A supercharged night cream for hands, nails and cuticles, vitamin A and C brighten pigmentation, while a host of active antioxidants and healing oils deal with the loss of volume, crepeyness and dehydration, all of which I suffer from. As it’s chic enough to have on show, this sits on my bedside table as a reminder to apply before bed, and the diligence has paid off. My cuticles, in particular, are no longer sore and flaky and my skin tone has returned to a more even colouring.

The cuticle question

Nail artist, Jenny Longworth, who works with an enviable list of celebrities like Rihanna and Victoria Beckham, advises me to keep nails short until the peeling and dryness has grown out. For shaping, she suggests using a soft nail file to reduce damage such as INK London Pro File (240/240 grit). I also favour Leighton Denny’s Large Crystal Nail File, £15.50. As far as cuticle oils go, this has long been my Achilles heel as keeping up a consistent effort is a challenge.

However, Longworth assures me this is the secret to supple nails and recommends CND Solar Oil with Jojoba Oil. ‘Jojoba is one of the best and only oils to penetrate the nail plate.’ It takes patience to detect a difference, but the rewards are worth the input; After a couple of weeks of regular application, my nails went from ridged and brittle to soft and smooth. To boost my home efforts, on Jenny’s recommendation I booked in for an IBX manicure. A nail strengthening system, it works from the inside out using heat to adhere the layers of the nail plate back together. IBX is available at Dry By in London and salons nationwide. It’s been four weeks since I embarked on this mission. Are my hands now of hand model calibre? Nope. But they do look a damn sight more appealing and most certainly younger.

For more beauty and lifestyle advice, go to www.annabeljonesbeauty.com, Instagram: @annabeljonesbeauty