How can I improve the look of my hands?

[Llamasally]

They look awful 😢 but I’m not knowledgeable enough to know why!! Tips please, ideally cheap-ish

they look dry and the cuticles and nails ragged. protect them when washing up (use rubber gloves as much as possible), moisturize them frequently (simple cheap hand lotion and at night vaseline mixed into the lotion). have a simple manicure with NOTHING other than moisturizing base coat (something with vitamin C) to teach you how to shape the nails use a file and how to be gentle with the cuticles.
caring for your cuticles is mainly down to moisturising
and when i mean use lotion, 3 times a day and at night.
my mom use to slather on the vaseline and wear gloves to bed (a bit extreme) but will work miracles in 24 hours time.

A good hand cream. Neutrogena Norwegian is brilliant and very cheap.
Wipe any last dregs of skincare over your hands.

I do use hand cream a few times a day at least 🙈

You should be able to get a cheap mini manicure to shape the nails (this isn’t hard once you’ve seen the shape the esthetician aims for) and once the cuticles are trimmed you can maintain them yourself. Try the Vaseline tonight, gobs a really heavy amount, rub it in well especially at the nail beds.

Do you have Raynaud's?
I do and I’m so embarrassed about my hands that I wear fingerless gloves whenever I leave the house. I keep them well moisturised (dry skin between fingers) and since lockdown I taught myself how to do all sorts with my nails like foils, magnetic polish, chrome and unicorn chrome powders, stick ons and aurora powders just to mention a few.

@Chucklit I do! God is it that obvious 😢

I would suggest:

Exfoliating your hands first. Either with a hand scrub or a homemade mixture of fine salt, olive oil and wet coffee grounds from your coffee maker

Apply a very thick moisturiser, very generously, to your hands, wrists and lower arm. Like the Nivea cream in the blue metal pot. Use it several times a day!

Apply a cuticle oil to your cuticles several times throughout the day

Grow your nails out a bit and then cut them short in a more square shape

Invest in a cuticle cutter, a cuticle pusher and an electric nail filing set (all very inexpensive on Amazon)

Apply clear nail polish. Or a natural colour if you like to colour your nails

Good luck!

Get some cotton gloves and slather your hands thickly with cream every night before bed, put the gloves on and leave overnight. You’ll see a big improvement in a week or so,

This handcream has made a huge difference to my aging hands.

https://www.sephora.co.uk/p/StriVectin-Volumizing-and-Rejuvenating-Hand-Cream-60ml

A manicure helps on the day, but I find the cuticles look back to normal very quickly.

A good hand cream, SPF daily and a nice manicure either gel or if money's tight DIY stick ons

I cannot use gels as they wreck my nails. May I ask which stick on nails you would recommend please? At the moment I use ordinary polish on my toe nails but nothing on my finger nails.

Turtle doves gloves during autumn/winter helped my hands (wait for when they have a sale on). They are brilliant.

Short term and very expensive, excuviance glow pads for when going out. Cut one pad into four, it’s enough. It’s for the face but after you’ve used it on the face there is still over for your hands. A miracle (fake) glow.

I can't use gel either as I'm allergic. I find the kids acrylic ones are really good they are a bit pricey but they normally last about 3 weeks. Take some time to prepare your nails before applying them
www.boots.com/kiss-salon-acrylic-nude-short-length-cashmere-10212971

Only to someone else who has it.
I always kept my hands hidden in my sleeves and now have many pairs of fingerless gloves, black or white lace, slightly thicker wool ones with designs on for autumn. Very thick fluffy ones for winter because of the pain. I find that with gloves and good nail art you can take the focus away completely. You can teach yourself to do all sorts of nail art by yourself (I did during lockdown).
I didn’t realise anyone else knew I had it until a girl randomly asked if I had Raynauds because she did too.
I've recently been prescribed Nifedipine but taking it gives me awful headaches.

i have dermatillomania (? spelling might be off...) and my hands are so gross so i totally get this. i pick the skin off my fingers and thumbs, sometimes to the extent that they bleed. If you can afford it then i recommend getting your nails done, it made me so much more confident. i know it sounds silly, but having fabulous nails just took the focus away from the bits i hated?