LENA BLOG

What is a hangnail? A hangnail is simply dead skin that has pulled away from the fingernail area. If you’ve never experienced these annoying yet painful skin irritations, you are one in a million. I am sure you have found that if you pull the dead skin off, it leaves a little tear in the skin, and these tiny little pieces of skin really can hurt when they are tearing off from the finger. So — don’t pull the skin off — but do cut it with nail clippers, and get as close to the surface as possible without cutting your finger. And if it still hurts, and to ensure infection doesn’t set in, put a tiny drop of an essential oil (preferably lavender , which is very soothing) on the area then put a Band-Aid ® on it until it heals. How can I best take care of the skin around my fingernails? I get lots of hangnails, and they hurt! Please tell me what I can do (or not do) to stop them from happening. Frequently washing your hands throughout the day can create an environment fo...

We tend to worry about our hands (the tops of our hands) long after the damage has occurred, which makes this area one of The Forgotten Places. If you’re young, start now to take care of your hands, so they will reflect this care when you’re older. And even if you are older and haven’t taken very good care of this area, it’s never too late to start. Your skin will always reflect the care you give it. Here are a few suggestions. First, whenever you exfoliate your face and neck, exfoliate the tops of your hands . It’s a small area, so it doesn’t take much time (or product), but getting rid of the dead cells here will go a long way in keeping your hands looking youthful and feeling smooth. Next, after you have applied moisturizer to your face and neck, smooth any excess product on your hands. If they are chronically dry, apply a special hand cream or the cream you’re using on your body before you go to bed. Try to apply it as often as you can throughout the day as well. ...

This, of course, is an exaggeration. Recently I had a client come in who had just seen her dermatologist. We were talking about pigmentation and “sun spo ts ” on the skin. Her dermatologist pointed out how she had more pigmentation on the left side of her face , especially around the cheek and chin area as well as her upper neck. My client was shocked to find out that this was due to driving in her car. I see this a lot — eve n on my own face; there is usually more dark pigmentation on the left side of the face, the side closest to the window of the car. This dark pigmentation is caused from sun exposure — exposure while sitting in your car driving. And if you are rarely the driver but are frequently a passenger in the front seat, you ’ ll see this discoloration on your right side. Your hands are also receiving a lot of sun while they are up or around the steering wheel. Look down at your hands next time you ’ re driving and you ’ ll see what I mean. Early in my skin...