Winter Skin Savers: How To Sort Out Dessicated Winter Hands

It's really hard to keep hands and nails in any sort of daycent nick this weather. Just like hair and skin, they're adversely affected in a huge way by the cold temperatures and wind outside and the central heating inside. I was out and about one day recently without gloves on, and I was in turn fascinated and grossed out by the dessication I could see happening right in front of my very eyes as exposure to the wintry elements took its toll.

I'm not alone, according to Kate Verling of Mink; she tells me that many of their clients are having issues with their hands and nails as the weather has worsened. "The snow certainly didn't help things!" she says. According to Kate, the main complaints that Mink are hearing from customers in this extremely cold spell are about about cuticles becoming dry and difficult to manage and nails splitting, peeling and flaking.

Definitely not the best Christmas party look ever.

So what would Kate recommend for rehabilitating those poor maligned extremities at home ?

"My advice would be to find a scrub that is both oily and soft so the granules do not irritate already sensitive and dry skin.

Once your hands are nicely exfoliated, apply a good oil to the nail bed and surrounding cuticles (sweet almond oil in chemists works wonders!) Finish with a nice thick hand cream."

You really need to do this on a regular basis to see a lasting improvement, so stash a tube of hand cream by the kitchen sink, the bathroom basin, on your desk in work, and stick one in your handbag too for good measure. It can be difficult to get into a routine of applying hand cream, but at least if you're falling over it at every turn there's a chance you might remember to use it.

In terms of salon treatments to help weather-ravaged handies, Kate says "We are seeing a big surge in hot paraffin wax treatments being added on to mini manicures/ file and paints over the past few weeks which is so beneficial, not only for hydrating but for boosting circulation. The hands are dipped about four or five times into the hot liquid wax. Then hands are placed in heated mittens which helps the oils penetrate into the skin. After about seven-to-ten minutes the wax is removed like a glove and voila! Perfect for winter skin."

Got any tried and trusted methods of your own for taking the winter ravaged edge off hands that have been suffering in the perishing cold? Do share 'em in a comment!

Mink Hand & Foot Spa has locations in Ballsbridge and Donnybrook, Dublin 4. See www.mink.ie for contact info and treatment details and prices.