Do your hands look old? Are they dry and discolored? Wrinkled? Do you have enlarged veins? Or do they just look really ugly whenever you try to do a nail art selfie?

“Our hands are constantly exposed to the elements,” says celebrity dermatologist Francesca Fusco. Even antibacterial soaps or the UV light from our monthly gel manicure habit can contribute to ageing. Plus, most of us just forget to take care of our hands the way we take care of our face. “We always look in the mirror, but we never really pay attention to our hands until they look really bad.”

Try these tips for younger looking hands

Exfoliate your hands

Fusco says that even really moisturizing hand creams won’t work if the skin on your hands has become tough and leathery. She recommends exfoliating twice a week with a body scrub or facial scrub. You can also mix olive oil with lemon and brown sugar or coffee grounds! Keep a jar by your kitchen sink so you can give your hands a little extra love after cooking or washing the dishes.

Wear gloves when you do household chores

Harsh detergents and cleansers will suck out moisture and irritate your skin. Always use hand gloves when you’re washing dishes or cleaning, and keep hand lotions by the sink so you can moisturize right after. If you notice that your skin gets cracked and dry, consider switching to another detergent – you could have contact dermatitis, or have an allergy to an ingredient or fragrance.  See your dermatologist if that doesn’t solve the problem.

Reapply sunscreen

We often pick hand lotions for their scent, not for sun protection – but for younger looking hands, you need both! Keep a travel-sized bottle of sunscreen in your bag or office drawer. Reapply after every 4 or 5 hours, or after washing your hands. You can also mix sunscreen with your regular hand lotion so you can get both SPF and your favorite fragrance.

Remove stains from your nails

 First, see a dermatologist to rule out a fungal infection. However, most of the time it’s caused by wearing dark nail polish. You can lighten nails by rubbing them with a lemon wedge. To prevent nail polish stains, remove any nail polish once they start to chip, use a good base coat, and alternative dark nail polish with light or clear nail polish.

See your dermatologist

There are a lot of aesthetic treatments for smoother, younger looking hands. Fusco recommends LED light therapy and chemical peels to treat skin discoloration and pigmentation and reduce the appearance of lines. Fillers like Restylane and Radiesse can also plump up and smoothen the skin and hide prominent veins. (Find a Singapore dermatologist or skincare clinic near me.)

Dermatologists can also prescribe powerful hydroquinine creams that can fade age spots. Prescription retinols can also improve your hands’ texture by stimulating collagen growth.