The one sunscreen mistake that ages your hands faster than your face, say dermatologists

It shows up first when you are paying for coffee or holding a rail on the Tube. Your face looks looked-after, even polished; your hands tell a different story. The texture is thinner, the freckles are darker, the veins stand out a little more each year. Somewhere between your serum step and your commute, a tiny omission has been working quietly against you.

Dermatologists will tell you it is not the SPF in your moisturiser, or the “wrong” filter in your sunscreen. It is something far more mundane: you protect your face and forget your hands. Day after day. Season after season. The mistake sounds almost too small to matter, but skin does not care about intentions. It cares about exposure time.

The body part that never gets a day off

Your hands are out there constantly: gripping a steering wheel, scrolling on your phone by a sunny window, carrying shopping under a cloudless sky. You wash them dozens of times, strip any protective product, then step straight back into daylight. Your face, by comparison, usually gets one generous layer of SPF in the morning and a bit of shade from hats, fringes and glasses.

UV exposure speeds up three changes in particular: pigment spots, collagen breakdown and that crepey, papery look. Because the skin on the backs of your hands is already thinner than on your cheeks, the damage appears sooner and more starkly. The result is that hands can look a decade older than your face, even when you think you are “good with suncream”.

Dermatologists see the pattern daily. Patients invest in expensive anti-ageing products, but the first clues to long-term sun damage show on the one area they treat as an afterthought.

The mistake: treating sunscreen like a make-up step

Most people apply SPF where they apply foundation or tinted moisturiser: forehead, cheeks, nose, chin. The mental map is cosmetic, not anatomical. Hands do not feature in the mirror ritual, so they are simply left out. Or they get a passing swipe of whatever is left on your palms after you finish your face, which is rarely enough and rarely reapplied.

The second slip is timing. You might diligently put sunscreen on at 8am, then wash your hands three times by 10.30. Soap, hand gel and dishwater remove sunscreen just as effectively as they remove grime. If you do not top up, you are essentially bare-skinned for the most UV-active part of the day.

One consultant dermatologist summed it up crisply: “If you would not walk around all day with an unprotected face, do not do it with your hands. They live in the same sun.”

Why your hands age differently from your face

The science behind the “old hands, young face” contrast is not mystical. It is a mix of structure, habits and light.

• Thinner skin and less fat: The backs of your hands have a finer dermis and fewer oil glands. Once collagen and elastin break down, the surface has less support, so lines and sagging show more quickly.
  
• Chronic micro-damage: Short, repeated bursts of UVA and UVB, through windscreens, office windows and quick walks, accumulate. UVA in particular travels through glass and goes deep, attacking collagen even when you do not burn.
  
• Constant product removal: Repeated washing and sanitising strip natural oils and any applied SPF. The barrier is left a little rougher and drier each time, amplifying every crease.

None of this is destiny. It is load. Change the load, and you change how fast the story shows up on your hands.

The 2‑minute hand SPF routine dermatologists wish people did

You do not need a new 10‑step system. You need a tiny, boring habit you actually repeat. Think of it as a “hand seatbelt”: you clip it on automatically when you head into the day.

1. Include hands in your morning face SPF. When you apply sunscreen to your face and neck, deliberately finish by coating the backs of both hands. Use an extra pea-sized blob if needed rather than relying on residue.
   
2. Keep a dedicated hand SPF where you live your day. For most people that means next to the front door, on your desk, or in the car. A lightweight, non-greasy SPF 30+ hand cream works well for reapplication.
   
3. Reapply after washing or long driving. If you have washed your hands more than twice, or have driven for over 20 minutes in daylight, top up. Windscreens block most UVB (burning) but not UVA (ageing).
   

You are not aiming for perfection. You are aiming for enough repetition that your hands are no longer the forgotten zone.

“Hands are one of the clearest ‘sun diaries’ we have,” notes a London dermatologist. “If you build hand SPF into the same muscle memory as locking your door, you change that diary in your favour.”

Small choices that quietly protect your hands

Sunscreen is the anchor, but a few low-effort tweaks help keep the odds on your side.

• Use the shade you already have. Move your laptop so the light hits the back of the screen, not the back of your hands. Swap the window seat for an aisle on very bright days.
  
• Pair SPF with fabric. Driving gloves, cycling mitts and long sleeves do more than add style points. UV-protective fabrics physically block light where cream wears off quickly.
  
• Moisturise with intention. A plain, fragrance-free hand cream used regularly supports the skin barrier, so it copes better with daily UV and washing stress. Hydrated skin simply looks younger.
  

The aim is not to avoid sunlight entirely. It is to stop your hands absorbing more of its cumulative cost than the rest of you.

What to do if the damage is already visible

If your hands already show sunspots, uneven tone or fine wrinkles, you are not “too late”. You are simply starting from a different baseline.

Dermatologists often suggest a two-pronged approach: prevention from today onwards, plus gentle correction where appropriate. That may mean prescription creams containing retinoids or lightening agents, in-clinic options such as peels and light-based treatments, or simply a consistent over-the-counter routine with sunscreen, moisturiser and, if tolerated, a mild retinol hand cream at night.

The crucial point is this: no corrective treatment will hold if you continue to leave your hands bare to the sun. Future you will get more value from today’s sunscreen habit than from any single procedure.

Key point	Detail	Why it matters for your hands
Hands are often unprotected	Face gets SPF; hands are washed bare repeatedly	They accumulate more ageing UV than almost any other visible area
UVA comes through glass	Driving and window work expose the backs of hands	Ageing damage builds even without burning or beach holidays
Tiny habits beat big overhauls	Add SPF to hands in the morning and after washing	Consistency slows visible ageing more than occasional treatments

FAQ:

• If my moisturiser has SPF, is that enough for my hands?
  Usually not, because you are unlikely to put a thick, even layer on your hands and it will wash off quickly. Use a dedicated sunscreen or SPF hand cream and reapply.
  
• Do I really need SPF on my hands in winter in the UK?
  Yes for daytime, especially if you are outdoors or driving. UVA, which drives ageing, is present all year round, even through clouds and glass.
  
• What SPF should I use on my hands every day?
  Dermatologists generally recommend broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, with good UVA protection (look for a high star rating or “PA+++” and above).
  
• Will sunscreen make my hands greasy or affect my grip?
  Modern gel or lotion formulas, especially those sold as “hand SPF” or “non-greasy”, absorb quickly. Apply, wait a minute, and excess residue usually settles.
  
• Can I reverse brown spots on my hands with home products alone?
  Mild pigmentation may soften with daily SPF, moisturiser and targeted ingredients like niacinamide or gentle retinoids. More stubborn spots often need professional assessment to rule out skin cancers and discuss stronger options.