An excerpt from Seinfeld, October 1996:

Jerry: She had man hands.
Elaine: Man hands?
Jerry: The hands of a man. It's like a creature out of Greek Mythology. I mean, she was like part woman, part horrible beast.
Elaine: Would you prefer it if she had no hands at all?
Jerry: Would she have hooks?

While “man hands? may be a derogatory term used to describe a woman’s hands on television, there is no reason why men should let their hands get to the point where they can be described as belonging to that of a creature from Greek mythology. In fact, there are simple ways that you can make your hands look great and feel great without losing any “manliness?.

The Skin

Your hands are subject to many harsh environments and are one part of your body, aside from your face, that get almost constant exposure to the elements. Assuming you don’t where gloves everywhere you go, your hands are exposed to sunlight, air, and water on a daily basis. All of these elements can have an effect on what the skin on your hands will feel like.

Keep it simple. When you wash your hands, you are probably using soap that will tend to dry out the skin on your hands. This will make any calluses you have seem more prominent. Once daily, preferably at night, you can wash your hands using an exfoliating scrub. This will give your hands a lift by removing dirt and oils trapped in your skin by sloughing away dead cells. After exfoliating, rinse and dry your hands thoroughly.

Now that your hands are clean and dry, you can apply a moisturizer that will nourish the skin and preserve the moisture that your skin produces. This will give you smooth and healthy skin and minimize the feel of calluses you may have built up from, shall we say, “extracurricular activities?.

Every morning, it is also wise to apply a moisturizer to the skin after showering. If possible, try to use one with a built in sunscreen.

The Nails

Men often overlook this part of personal care. While the skin is probably the most noticeable part of the hands, especially when we shake hands with someone, the nails can be seen more than you might think. For instance, when writing or typing on a keyboard, having neatly manicured nails can have a subtle impression that gives you a well-polished look. A few simple steps can give you great looking nails in no time.

First, trim the nails using a good quality nail clipper. It is important not to trim nails too short but you certainly don’t want them to be too long either. A good rule of thumb is to leave a bit of the nail plate extending past the nail bed. Without going through the anatomy of the fingernail… this basically means, leave a bit of fingernail extending past the part of nail that is no longer secured to the skin underneath.

Next, you will want to use a file to smooth out and rough edges and make the tip of the nail as round as possible. This will allow the nail to grow out evenly and also give the nail a finished look. If you don’t want to buy a nail file at your local pharmacy or grocery store, you can borrow one from your girlfriend or wife as they will surely find it promising that you are taking the time to make your hands smooth and soft for them.

Finally, you can finish off your mini-manicure by using the cuticle pusher that can be found on your nail clipper. It is the small flat piece with a slight rounded hook on the tip. While your hands are warm (after a shower perhaps) you can use this tool to push the skin around the base of the nail back under itself. To remove any dead skin that may be sticking up around the cuticle, you can use a cuticle trimmer or a pair of high-quality tweezers.

The Next Level

If you want to take the care of your hands seriously, you may want to consider visiting a day spa and having a manicure performed by a professional. Word to the wise, you can usually get that as part of a package that may include a massage or other service. Not a bad way to take care of yourself at all. Besides, maintenance is much easier when you have had a pro get you on track.