Trend Alert: Plastic-Surgery-Hand-Lifts? Seriously.

29 May Trend Alert: Plastic-Surgery-Hand-Lifts? Seriously.

I wish I could say it aint so, but alas, tis true.  From BuzzFeed to the New York Times, many media outlets are reporting a sudden rise in brides getting hand-lifts in the name of hand-selfies.  Believe it or not this hand improvement procedure isn’t new. Women have been de-veining their hands for years.  However, with the rise of social media and obsession with selfies to announce engagements (which we highly encourage), the percentage of hand-lifts and injections have increased in the number of brides-to-be having it done.  Of course it’s certainly a brides’ prerogative when it comes to fillers and/or surgery, but be warned such a want will cut into the ole budget.  One bride interviewed by the Times spent $3000!  If you’re a bride-to-be who does want to put her best hand forward without such a price tag, Lover.ly has listed some more natural ways to get a great engagement ring selfie, sans the needles.  Our take-away?  While we love a good selfie to share your good news, do your best to focus more on your love than on your “likes.”

1. Chug some water. When you get dehydrated, your hands get puffy, and right after your engagement, you’ve lost a lot of fluids via happy tears. So immediately after your proposal, start tossing back water like it’s tequila and you’re on spring break junior year. If your beloved is planning to propose on a hike, you better hope he or she brings along a CamelBak; we know what our hands look like after a hot-weather hike and they are not Insta-worthy.

2. Scrub-a-dub-dub. An oil-based sugar or sea salt scrub will remove dead skin and moisturize your hands; follow the scrub with a light lotion to lock in the moisture. If you haven’t received the ring yet, start doing the scrub weekly and use cuticle oil regularly so your hands always look nice and soft.

3. Airbrush away imperfections. We love the way Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs makes our legs look; you can mist your hands with it so they have the same healthy glow. (Tip: take your ring off first unless you’re trying to camouflage your diamond.)

4. Hold onto something. We’ve looked at a lot of engagement ring selfies and have noticed that hands grasping something — like a bouquet of flowers or a coffee cup (hopefully it’s Pumpkin Spice Latte season!) — look much better than a hand that’s flat with the fingers spread wide. Other angles that work well: your hand on your hip, your hand on your sweetheart’s chest or grasping their lapel, or your fingers close together with your hand slightly curved.

5. Pick the perfect nail color. We all have a couple go-to pinks, neutrals, and metallics that make our nails look elegant and pretty. We’re not saying you should only wear classic colors once you know a proposal is probably imminent…but we won’t judge you if you go that route.

6. Slap on some falsies. Our favorite amazing $8 fake nails would really come in handy (heh) here, especially if you can’t get to a nail salon. (Hello, holiday proposals!)

7. Wear sunscreen. While it may be too late for sunscreen to have an impact on your just-engaged photo, you should always wear SPF on your hands to stave off skin cancer and brown spots. Even if you’ve already shared your ring shot, you can still start a sunscreen habit in anticipation of your wedding day photos.

For the full list of tips for best engagement selfies head on over to Lover.ly!

 Photo 1: The lovely Ms. Lauren Conrad via The Frisky