The Surprising Habits of Hand Models

They wear gloves to the beach. Their fingers can be insured for six figures. And they'd sooner eat glass than bite a hangnail. This is what it takes to have the loveliest hands in the world.

They're not ordering chocolate lava cake.

“Sugar, salt, and caffeine make the veins on the backs of your hands look plump,” says Ellen Sirot, whose hands you may recognize from Dawn ads. (Extreme? Maybe. But also effective, according to dermatologists.)

If you're a fan of smooth skin and ice cream, raise your hand. Seriously. Do it. Lifting your arms over your head for a minute gets your blood flowing away from your hands, so your veins look less obvious in pictures.

They're spendthrifts.

Nail files get used once, and then into the trash they go, says Christina Ambers, the owner of the hands of Sally Hansen-box fame. “Using a fresh emery board prevents cracks in your nails when they start to grow out,” she says.

In general, use your file until its color has faded, and skip nail clippers, which Ambers swears are harsher than dull nail files. If a chip happens, hand model Adele Uddo reaches for nail glue and a box of Earl Grey: Turns out you can cut a strip of a tea bag and glue it onto your nail to bind a break.

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Their hygiene is meh.

Unless they're washing dishes in a commercial, Sirot's hands hardly ever touch soapy water.

The same goes for hand sanitizers and moisturizers that smell good (or bad for that matter) since anything that has a lot of fragrance can dry out the skin and make nails brittle. A hand model's moisturizing alternatives: coconut oil, olive oil, Aura Glow Cream, and They can't get engaged.

“I haven't worn a ring, bracelet, or watch in 15 years,” says Ashly Covington, a hand model who works with Sephora. It's because they can leave indentations on the skin. But one accessory is mandatory.

“I own so many gloves that I stopped counting at 500 pairs,” says Sirot. Without gloves, you're risking sun spots—career suicide—and scratches. To heal the occasional nick, Uddo swears by a botanical oil called helichrysum (available online).

Now check out this clip of a real-life hand model: