Posted by Kristen Hinrichsen
on May 22, 2025
When it comes to anti-ageing, most of us focus on our faces — yet our hands deserve just as much attention.
SILKY PAWS founder Kristen Hinrichsen spoke to Dr Jan Knight, Cosmetic Doctor and Practice Principal at Intelligent Ageing about the best way to care for our hands and slow down the impact of ageing.
Dr Knight explained why the active ingredients in SILKY PAWS, like kojic acid and resveratrol, are game changers when it comes to maintaining youthful looking hands.
‘I endeavour to educate my clients on the importance of following a logical approach to age prevention that addresses not only the face, but the neck, décolletage and hands. One cannot be treated without the other and people are starting to recognise the importance of hand protection and care, as the hands don’t lie. Daytime – protect; night-time – repair.’
Dr Jan Knight, Practice Principal, Cosmetic Doctor, Intelligent Ageing
Question: What are the main causes of ageing on our hands?
Dr Jan Knight: “Without doubt, sun exposure is the leading culprit to hand ageing. If you look at a child’s hands, they are plump, smooth and even-toned. As we age, the hand skin quality changes. Skin thinning or volume loss (exposing the tendons), blotchy pigmentation appears, and the skin can appear crepey and feel rough. Unprotected sun exposure is the number one ager of skin. Prolonged exposure to water and other irritants, or excessive hand washing exacerbates the decline by seriously impairing the skin protective barrier or mantel. We saw a huge surge in hand dermatitis following COVID”.
Question: How important are genetics when it comes to the look of our hands?
Dr Jan Knight: “Genes play a huge role in issues with hands, like arthritis for example. However, it’s up to us individually to take ageing into our own hands and prolong the quality of our hands through protection, cosmetic treatments, exercise and barrier care”.
Question: What are the non-negotiables in hand care to slow down the impact of ageing?
Dr Janet Knight: “Wearing a SPF 50 daily on your hands is the number 1 priority when it comes to stemming collagen decline and preventing against age spots and skin cancers developing. A SPF coupled with the topical application of antioxidants (like Resveratol) and brightening agents (like Kojic Acid ) to target pigment producing cells and inhibit melanin production, is essential. Dryness and inflammation is best treated with nourishing lipid-rich ingredients and emollients to replace the stripped oils and compromised skin barrier and restore the skin’s moisture/hydration balance.
The key to prevention and recovery is frequency of application, at least 3 times per day at a minimum and a generous application (without SPF) for overnight repair. Applying gloves expedites the healing effects while you sleep. I recommend to also add in regular exfoliation to slough away dry skin and debris build up, either with a dry body brush, physical exfoliant or glycolic acid treatment on hands.
If you don’t exercise your body and brain, they decline…. the same can be said for hands. Use a putty ball to keep movement going, open and close hands frequently or massage to stimulate blood and oxygen flow to this area. Motion is the lotion for hand function. Intensify the hand treatment routine during winter and through the menopause journey, as the ‘happy skin hormone’ oestrogen depletes and changes become evident in the dermis. This is a time when extra self-care is required on all fronts!"
Question: How does the skin on our hands change over a lifetime?
Dr Janet Knight: “I draw parallels between the hand and a sofa, with the bones representing the structural component. The cushioning is your collagen and elastin, covered up by a thin outer fabric layer (epidermis). The continued wear and tear of a sofa mimics that on the hands…… fabric thins, risks tearing, it loses bounce, cushioning, volume, shape and changes colour when hit by the sun”.
Question: Should we be treating our hands as we do our face?
Dr Janet Knight: “Absolutely, the two are inseparable when fighting against the signs of ageing and hands are often an afterthought, when it’s too late and the discrepancy between the two is noticeable.
Question: Are there any ingredients or protocols that should be followed to nurture the hands? How early should you start?
Dr Janet Knight: “I would like to see hands given as much sun protection emphasis as the rest of the body, it’s never too late to start! In addition to the treatment protocols mentioned above, wearing physical protective shields like driving gloves, sports gloves or long shirts with protective flaps or even using an umbrella will help”.
Question: What are the main issues with hands that present in your practise?
Dr Janet Knight: “I treat a range of hand concerns from skin cancers to age-spot reduction to dermatitis. Often, the right hand appears more damaged than the left, due to consistent sun exposure whilst driving. SPF on your hands is mandatory for every journey!”
Question: Have you noticed an increased request for treatments and solutions to hand issues?
Dr Janet Knight: “yes, women want to look uniform in their ageing, so the treatment of face, hands neck and décolletage has to be synchronised for even results”.
Question: What cosmetic treatments do you offer to address these concerns?
Dr Janet Knight: “We have options in clinic, depending on concerns. For age spot concerns, I start with using liquid nitrogen to shatter pigment in cells and improve skin appearance. Usually visible after the 30-day skin renewal process. This is the fastest and most cost effective option. We can also layer fraxel laser treatments as required and use fillers (injectable hyaluronic acid) to bolster the loss of volume. Regular skin checks and early intervention can significantly reduce the impact of skin cancers”.
“I am excited for the launch of SILKY PAWS as this provides a good home care product for patients to continue caring for their hands after in clinic treatments.”
Dr Jan Knight, Practice Principal, Cosmetic Doctor, Intelligent Ageing