Is our anti-ageing obsession now totally out of hand?

With women opting for botox injections to keep their hands looking youthful, Ellie Muir examines new beauty standards

I’ve developed a complex. Recently, I’ve decided that my 24year-old hands aren’t fit for purpose. They’ve been neglected. They’re too wrinkly. I’m convinced they’re prematurely aged.

I came to this (admittedly extreme) conclusion after watching countless videos of self-anointed beauty gurus and hand models performing elaborate multi-step care routines designed to turn back the clock on their mitts. It’s a very serious undertaking. Their hands are soaked, scrubbed, shaved, creamed, oiled and preened to the point they’re indistinguishable from a glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut. They become veinless, gleaming and dainty.

Never before have our hands gotten so much attention. While it’s long been standard protocol to use a dollop of Nivea on your paws in the colder months – or treat yourself to the expensive soap in the loos at a fancy restaurant – the idea that our hands are the first telltale sign of a person’s age has never had more currency. Think of any anti-ageing facial treatment that exists, and it’s likely available in a new hand-driven formula. Already, companies sell red-light therapy gloves aimed at reducing the appearance of fine lines, UV-repellent mittens worn to prevent sun exposure, and hydrating hand masques (think a standard facial sheet mask but in glove form). It’s become the latest craze in self-loathing.