Caring for My Hands was Rarely a Priority for Me...and it Shows!

Tee Ivory
Jul 21, 2020
3 min read

Updated: Sep 20, 2020

The Problem?

Since my birthday in January, and even more recently since "Quarantine Life", I've noticed changes in my (skin all over) that are not for the better! It's been harder to maintain moisture smoothness, and softness. My hands look worst of all! I thought about the many years I rinsed chemicals from clients hair, disinfected utensils, and did house work with no gloves on. I kept hand cream in my purse at all times that I never used. I applied lotions and oils when the dryness was unbearable, but that's about it!

Rough hands are evidence of hard work, and hard work builds character...I guess!

A Quick Story.

I shook hands with a woman who seems to never have worked a day in her life! She was the wife of a salon owner I was being introduced to. They were a lovely couple, but the salon wasn't going to be a good fit for me at the time. That was the first time I noticed that my hands were as rough as they were. That was a few years ago. Now? Add aging on top of that, and here I am, self conscious and trying to preserve the skin I'm in!

I Procrastinated.

I own more than enough nail products and tools to keep my nails looking neat and presentable, and to replenish the skin on my hands. How ever, I kept putting the maintenance off until I felt like it (which didn't happen often). I didn't care to invest in going to the nail salon because I didn't wear artificial nails, and felt that I could manage the job myself (which again, I rarely did)!

Now What?

The skin on my hands remind me of alligator skin! It doesn't look any better, no matter what creams, lotions and potions I use. My nails are constantly splitting and breaking because they are perpetually dry as well. The damage has definitely been done. I'm one of those ladies with rough hands! It's official! There are probably many men in this world with softer hands than me, and I can't blame anyone but myself!

Drama Queen?

I may be giving more energy to this situation than it is truly worth. This is definitely a first-world problem! However, while on my "beauty preservation" journey, my rough hands and barely-there natural nails have come to my attention. During the "Stay at Home Orders" was a time where I could really focus on the things about myself that I could improve on (when I wasn't a nervous wreck, like many other people). Addressing this minuscule issue was a welcome distraction to the chaos that was on the news. Beauty goals were also trending in every online space during quarantine, so I knew I wasn't alone.

Now I'm More Diligent with My Routine.

I cant repair the damage that has already been done, but hopefully I can keep my dry hands under control to avoid a potentially worse condition. I've implemented the following list into my beauty routine for a month now. So far, so good, but no miracles.

I wear cleaning gloves while doing housework.
My nail products are where I can see them and easily access them.
At the very least, I wear a layer of nail strengthener, if not nail polish.
I'm using cuticle oil, and/or an essential oil with Avon hand cream multiple times daily
Daily exfoliating with a "body" scrub
Weekly deep moisture treatment, hand masks.