One of the questions our transformation makeup artists are asked by visiting clients is ‘how to make my hands look more feminine’? It’s easy to ignore or forget this part of your femme presentation. Most crossdressers will initially concentrate on the most obvious parts of transformation: shaping, hair, makeup and feminine appearance and movement. But you can shatter your femme illusion by not taking care of such details like hands. We use our hands to express ourselves so they are ‘on show’ a lot of the time we talk. Let’s make sure we make them look the very best they can be by adopting some subtle changes to alter the more obvious male aspects of our hands.
With a staff including crossdressers of many years experience and some of the very best makeup artists available, Glamour Boutique have the tried and tested tips to help you tackle this important part of your appearance.
Develop A Moisturizing Routine
If you put in place a regular care routine for your hands you will find when you dress there will only be minor adjustments and additions needed to get those mtf hands when you are going out en femme. Not only will you cultivate softer and more feminine hands but over time you will make your hands look younger as well as less masculine. Follow this simple routine and you will turn rough, male hands into gentle more female hands in no time.
- Use a moisturizing hand soap when washing your hands. We wash our hands many times a day so using a moisturizing soap will stop you getting chapped and cracked skin. Good brands to use are Dove and Jergens. Always wash in lukewarm water, not hot.
- Exfoliate the hands once a week. Exfoliation uses light abrasion to remove dead skin cells and so leaves a softer layer of skin underneath. You can buy affordable hand scrubs like SheaMoisture or make your own from ingredients at home like olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sugar. Simply wash/wring the hands with the scrub for 30 seconds and then rinse off.
- Moisturize with a good quality hand moisturizer. Do this every time you wash your hands or immerse the hands in water (bathing, showering, washing dishes and yes, even after exfoliating). Brands like CeraVe and Neutrogena have amazing products that are inexpensive too. You will feel a difference within days if you do this regularly.
Implement these steps into your regular life and you will see very quickly the results. Your hands will both feel and look younger, healthier and more feminine for longer.
Be Kind to Your Hands When Washing Them
The last two years have been a real test for hands. If Covid-19 has done anything it has encouraged us to take extra steps with our cleanliness but that comes at a cost. Excessive hand washing and the use of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers leads to cracked and even bleeding hands, especially around the knuckles. Cracked and chapped hands tend to look rough and more masculine. Try not to use antibacterial soaps (use a moisturizing hand soap instead) that dry the skin. Use a scrubbing brush to get under the nails to remove unsightly dirt. Wash in lukewarm and not hot water and pad hands dry with a towel rather than rubbing them excessively. Remember, at the least, moisturize after each handwashing.
Protect Your Hands from the Elements
Do your best to mask your hands from the extremes of weather. Both cold temperatures and hot sun are enemies of the hands. Cold temperatures sap the hands of moisture so keep them well gloved to keep them nice, soft and supple during the winter months. During the hotter months make sure to use sunscreen protection on the backs of your hands. Without SPF protection you will cause sun damage over time which ages the hands and looks unsightly in the form of additional wrinkling and dark ‘age spots’.
Invest in Your Nails & Manicures
One of the most transformational elements of feminizing hands is the addition of salon quality nails. Indeed, when we are asked how to get feminine hands the quickest way we always mention is fake nails. You can do this by visiting a nail salon or you can DIY at home with nail kits available at Target, Walmart, Walgreens and most drug stores.
Try to stick to soft colors like baby pink, nude or even a classic ‘French’ finish rather than bold colors. When it comes to length try not to go too short or too long. Having false nails both too short and too long have the effect of making the hands look stubby and therefore more male in appearance. The optimum length to go for is between 1/6th and ¼ of an inch. Not only do they make the hands look proportionate and more feminine, they are also easier to handle. If using stick-on nails they won’t knock walls and doors and fall off easily if they are the right length rather than being too long. Having a manicure at a nail salon will cost $20 and up versus $7 and your own time for a DIY nail kit at home.
A manicure of your own nails or wearing a set of acrylic nails/tips is one of the quickest and most effective ways to feminize male hands. It is also a pleasurable experience; pamper yourself.
Don’t Forget Hand Grooming
Incorporating regular hand grooming with your moisturizing routine will really pay dividends in the long run with your mtf hands. As crossdressers in our everyday male mode of dress, we should always strive to be clean and presentable.
Start by regular trimming of nails with a nail clipper. Don’t clip too short and take your time to do it evenly. Use a nail file to smooth nails so they all end up looking the same length with a uniform curve. The top of the nail should be rounded but keep the edges squared off. This is not only to look more pleasing but it helps reduce the chance of ingrown nails.
One of the biggest giveaways of male hands is hairy knuckles so take care of this as part of your regular maintenance. You can of course use a razor or one of the many hair removal creams like Nad’s for men or Veet. Depilatories (hair remover) are easy to use and last longer than just wet shaving the backs of the hands.
Consider Your Diet & Exercise Routine
Changing your lifestyle will directly impact how your skin looks and how it feels in the long run. It’s not a quick fix, but it has so many benefits. Make simple changes to your life with regards diet and simple exercise and you can slow down the aging process. The skin is a reflection of your health and age. Look after it and you can defy your actual numerical age.
Discard the sugary drinks and replace them with water. Along with moisturizing this is the most important thing you can do to hydrate the skin on a regular basis. Dietary considerations include a good amount of fruit and vegetables that also add to the hydration process. Choose non-processed foods and eat good fats like olive oil, olives, tuna, salmon and avocados. Your skin will thank-you for it and so will your arteries if you cut down on the meat intake.
Moderate cardio exercise a few times a week gives untold benefits to your skin. Building up a sweat opens the skin’s pores and helps excrete dirt and dead cells. To get the full benefit, remember to shower/bathe immediately after exercising and maybe combine with exfoliating the body with a simple loofah. You don’t need to hit the gym either. Walking at a pace that raises the heart level is sufficient and will pay untold dividends.
Bad news for all you party girls! Excessive drinking and smoking are both bad for the skin and lead to accelerated aging, bloating and blotchiness of the skin and hands. We’re not saying stop. But, if you moderate your consumption your hands will stay younger and softer for longer just by being healthier.
Wear Hand Jewelry
There are a few obvious tricks of how to make my hands look more feminine in the immediate. Along with shaving off hair and the addition of a manicure or false nails I would add the wearing of feminine jewelry. This is a part of the process that is so obvious and yet so many girls forget it.
Don’t overcrowd the hands with multiple bangles and rings on each finger as that will only draw even more focus to the area. What is needed are a few strategically placed pieces of jewelry to finish off your whole femme look. At most a ring on each hand and a bracelet on each wrist is enough.
To get the scale right, make sure not to use little skinny pieces of jewelry like small rings as this will make fingers and hands appear bigger and more masculine. Wear statement pieces like chunky bracelets so the proportion is better for male sized hands. Make sure the pieces fit. It’s always best to seek out adjustable rings and stretch bracelets so they look natural when on.
Whilst they may not be as obvious as the face, the hands can be a dead giveaway to natural masculine features if you aren’t aware of the do’s and don’ts. None of us will ever look like we belong on the front page of Vogue magazine but there is a lot we can do to improve our mtf appearance, including having more feminine hands. With male to female transformation it’s often the details that really pull the overall appearance together. When you make improvements it makes you feel better, helps with self esteem and possible feelings of gender dysphoria.
For further beauty tips you can access the hundreds of articles on our crossdressing tips blog. If you get stuck or have a question then feel free to email us directly. We have stylists and makeup artists on staff so we can always get an answer for you.