HOW TO AVOID SARAH JESSICA PARKER DODGY HAND SYNDROME

The first steps to gorgeous hands are to wash and dry them regularly and to always use hand cream. Keep a jar by every sink in your house plus one in your handbag.

Interestingly, one US study found that if you wash your hands five times a day you could dramatically slash your risk of catching germs and getting ill.

It was based on a two-and-a-half year hand-washing programme conducted by the navy. Another reason why everyone loves a sailor!

Don’t underestimate the protective powers of a pair of Marigolds. Always use rubber gloves when washing up. Also, use them when cleaning as household-cleaning products can make your skin dry and your nails dry and brittle.

A nightly trick to soften hands is to smother Vaseline, or petroleum jelly, into your nails, which will have a dramatic effect on taming your cuticles.

For best results wear cotton gloves to bed afterwards and you’ll wake with beautifully soft hands.

You can eat your way to better nails, too, say the experts. The best foods for nails include plenty of protein (fish, meat, soya, tofu, eggs) to help them grow and prevent those white lines from appearing across them.

And B vitamins, found in eggs, seafood and root vegetables, are a good way to keep nasty ridges at bay. Eat plenty of fish, fish oils and seeds, which are all rich in essential fatty acids that help nourish nails.

Foods rich in zinc, such as seafood, lean meat and wholegrains, help prevent white spots. Brittle nails? You’ll need to eat lots of calcium and vitamin-A foods such as carrots, peaches, leafy vegetables and tinned fish, which are great for strengthening dry nails.

Treat yourself to a home manicure every week or two and save the real thing for special occasions. Remove old polish and then shape each nail with an emery board (nail files are too severe).

Don’t saw away at your nails or you’ll break them. Instead, use light strokes from the edges towards the centre. Massage your cuticles with cuticle cream or add a few drops of cuticle massage oil to a bowl of warm water.

Soak your cuticles for five minutes, then push them back using a cuticle stick. Wash your hands, then apply a protective base coat of clear varnish to your nails, followed by a coat or two of colour.

Leave your hands for 20 minutes or so to avoid smudging them, then add a sealing topcoat.

Don’t forget to apply sunscreen on your hands. We rarely think about protecting our hands from the sun because we rarely burn there, but hands will give away your age better than any other part of your body and can even add a few cruel years too, so look after them.

* Taken from Look Gorgeous Always, by Linda Bird. Published by Infinite Ideas.

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