applying peeling scrub or moisturizing cream onto the handsFrom high-end creams and cleansers to costly facial treatments, many women (and some men) are willing to spend hundreds—even thousands—of dollars a year to combat the signs of aging. While anti-aging facial treatments are common, hands and feet are often overlooked—but they shouldn’t be. As we age, our skin loses elasticity and its ability to retain moisture, resulting in dryness, dark spots and wrinkles. Constant washing and frequent exposure to environmental conditions means hands are among the first places to show signs of aging. And, believe it or not, feet are prone to developing signs aging as well, so preventative care is necessary.
Many salon owners are treating clients’ concerns with anti-aging services. “Hand and foot facials are a series of treatments designed to correct and balance your skin,” says Karen Hodges, licensed nail tech and esthetician, and cofounder of online education platform Nailcare Academy. According to Hodges, anti-aging services should include two key steps: exfoliation (mechanical or chemical, to remove dead, dry surface skin cells) and hydration (moisture needs to be introduced back into the skin and capped with a barrier to prevent loss through evaporation). To get the job done, techs should reach for enzyme-based cleansers, glycolic, salicylic and lactic acid-based treatments and water-based lotions. “I stress to clients that it will take several treatments to get skin back on track,” says Hodges, who adds that techs should up-charge for anti-aging treatments, being sure to consider the cost of the products used and time spent on the service.
Interested in adding anti-aging services to your menu? For inspiration, we contacted salons across the country and asked them to share their top anti-aging services. Plus, we’ve included a roundup of effective anti-aging product picks techs and clients alike will be eager to incorporate into their beauty routines.
THE SERVICE : You’ve Got Time
THE SALON : You’ve Got Nails, Los Angeles, CA
Laser treatments have been used in facials for years to minimize wrinkles and improve skin elasticity. Los Angeles-based You’ve Got Nails mobile salon owner Andrew Rose has integrated that same technology into manicure services. “Red light therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy, offers a wide range of benefits to clients, including improved skin tone and texture, a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles and increased collagen density,” says Rose. After the laser treatment, he locks in the effects with shea butter to help protect the skin from environmental damage, such as UV rays and free radicals.
THE STEPS
1. After soaking and shaping the nails, apply a sugar scrub to the skin using small circular motions. Remove the scrub with a damp towel, then apply argan oil and/or marula oil and massage it into the skin.
2. Place the hands underneath an anti-aging red light therapy lamp for 10 minutes.
3. Massage the hands with shea butter.
scrub almond products for beauty and body careTHE SERVICE : Almond Manicure
THE SALON : Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge, Silver Spring, MD
Designed to refine skin texture and restore a healthy glow, this service includes the use of products rich in vitamin E, jojoba and rice bran oil, and salt. “There is a chemical and physical exfoliation that takes place,” says Maisie Dunbar, owner of Silver Spring, Maryland-based Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge.
THE STEPS
1. Begin the service with an almond milk soak, then file, shape and buff the nails. Next, apply cuticle oil and massage it into the nails and skin.
2. Apply an almond mask to the hands, wrap them in plastic and then place them into protective mittens. Allow the mask to set for three minutes. Then, use a warm, damp towel to remove the mask and massage the excess product into the skin.
Spa still life with aloe vera and moisturizerTHE SERVICE: Anti-Aging Hand Treatment
THE SALON: Pala Spa, Pala, CA
Using coconut oil, lactic acid, papyrus stem cells, grapefruit peel oil and aloe vera leaf juice, this treatment is designed to fade dark spots. In addition to brightening skin, the service includes an alpha hydroxy acid and retinol blend to correct uneven skin tone and hyper-pigmentation, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
THE STEPS
1. After soaking, trim and shape the nails. Apply a coconut smoothing scrub to the hands and arms using circular motions. Use a warm damp towel to remove the scrub. Then, use a dry towel to remove the excess moisture.
2. Use a fan brush to apply two drops of an alpha hydroxy retinol treatment to the back of the hands, and leave it on for three to five minutes.
3. Apply the cream to the hands and arms, and massage it into the skin. Then, apply sunscreen and massage it into the skin.
Hispanic woman receiving spa foot treatmentTHE SERVICE: La La Land Pedicure
THE SALON : Bellacures, Dallas, TX
Bellacures teamed up with a board-certified dermatologist, New York City-based Dennis Gross, M.D., to hand-select products for this anti-aging foot service. It includes alpha hydroxyacid peel pads to exfoliate the skin and an oil-free moisturizer rich in amino acids, vitamin B and hyaluronic acid to boost hydration.
THE STEPS
1. Begin the service with a warm soak, then dry the feet with a towel.
2. Use the alpha hydroxy acid peel pads on the feet. Then, trim,
shape and file the toenails.
3. Apply an oil-free moisturizer to the legs and feet, and massage it into the skin.
THE SERVICE: Anti-Aging Mani Massage
THE SALON: 20Lounge, Scottsdale, AZ
Proper hydration is key to keeping skin soft, supple and youthful-looking. This service, offered at both of 20Lounge’s Scottsdale, Arizona-based locations, focuses on soothing dry skin with a combination of paraffin wax, hyaluronic acid-based cream and ultra-moisturizing lotion.
THE STEPS
1. After soaking, filing and shaping the nails, apply warm paraffin wax to the hands, then place them in plastic gloves and let them sit for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the wax and massage any remaining product into the hands. Then, massage a small amount of lotion into the hands, concentrating most of the pressure on the back of the hands.
3. Remove any excess product with a warm towel, then apply a hyaluronic acid-based anti-aging cream to the skin.
Which of these anti-aging services would you add to your menu? Let us know in the comments below!
-Taylor Foley
This article was first published in the September 2017 issue of NAILPRO
[Images: Courtesy of Getty Images GS Pictures/istock; Dream Pictures/VStock/Blend images: Starush/Istock, GS Pictures/istock]
