M y   S t o r y

I never planned to be a hand model. It was not my answer to the question "What do you want to be when you grow-up?" By a very lucky series of events I fell into the field of "parts modeling" as a way to earn extra money while I was trying to support myself as a dancer. My foray into the field was as a leg and foot model (quite a literal leap from the days of battering them in the dance studio). I quickly realized that modeling definitely beat waitressing. Just as quickly, I saw that the competition was fierce. I determined that the busiest area of the field was hand modeling, and that I would have to break into that tight market to make a full career out of parts modeling.

As I looked at my hands, I thought they were very nice. Since I had achieved some success in the leg and foot market pretty quickly, I was unprepared for the dose of reality from my agent. "You have nicely shaped hands," she said. "But, in order for me to send you on auditions, you have to have perfect hands."

I was given no guidance on how to accomplish this task. At that point, I began my quest for perfect hands. The first thing I needed to do was to define what beautiful hands were and why I did not have them. By speaking to experts, observing the hands of top hand models, and staring at every set of hands I came across, I became a "hand detective." I discovered that a perfect hand combines the following qualities: skin that is even-toned, soft, smooth, and non-blemished, with a minimum of wrinkles; nails that are healthy, clear and strong; and cuticles that are supple and well-conditioned.

After realizing that there were no books to help me "make over" my hands, I spent a year seeking out effective products and developing my own systematic approach to hand care. During that first year, my hands changed dramatically. Their skin tone became extremely clear and even. My nails became strong and healthy. Soon my agent began sending me out for hand work, and before long I was booking job after job.

I am currently one of the country's top hand models. Over the last fifteen years, I have fine-tuned my regimen and my hands actually continue to improve. The skin of my hands is now softer than a baby's bottom. A photographer recently commented that my hands were like velvet and, according to my clients, fine lines have actually diminished!

My unusual profession has lead me to adopt an eccentric, rather peculiar lifestyle. For example, I am easily recognizable during the summer by my elbow length gloves. In the last decade my hands have not been exposed to any weather conditions, have not touched a piece of paper, have not cleaned a dish or floor and have not handled anything sharper than a butter knife. I treat my hands as precious treasures, thinking of their protection at all times.

My work as a hand model is a twenty-four hour a day job. One broken nail or paper cut can put me out of work for weeks. In addition to protecting my hands from even the most minor injury, I also have to avoid using them in any taxing way (e.g. opening windows, carrying heavy items) so that I will not build up hand muscles. My "no-work" hands are much in demand because they photograph very well, without vein, muscle or bone bulges.

P r o f e s s i o n a l   B i o g r a p h y

I am called the “World’s most successful Hand Model”. My hands have been seen in thousands of print ads and television commercials. They have appeared in every major fashion magazine, and I have worked with many of New York's top photographers. I am frequently interviewed about my lifestyle as a parts model, including appearances on television for The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, The Phil Donahue Show, Entertainment Tonight, Eyewitness News, Good Day NY, The Early Show and Fox 5 News.

I have been interviewed for hand care tips and hand model anecdotes by Allure, Harper's Bazaar, New York Sun, People, Penthouse, Vogue, Woman's Day Beauty, and Woman's World. I appeared on the front cover of Garden Design with a corresponding article about my life as a hand model and garden lover.

Print advertising campaigns that use my hands include: AT&T, American Express, America On-Line, Ajax, Aramis, Avon, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Brother, Citibank Visa, Clarion, Comet, Coty, Cover Girl, Dawn, Dr. Leonard's, Dr. Scholl's, Dove, Dove Chocolates, E & B Giftware, Easy Spirit, Elizabeth Arden, Encare, Estee Lauder, Huggies, Johnson and Johnson, Keds, Kiss Nail Products, Lamisil, Lillian Vernon, L'Oreal, Lysol, March of Dimes, McDonalds, Motorola, Neutrogena, Novartus, Oxo International, Paper Direct, Pampers, Panasonic, Reader's Digest, Resolve, Revlon, Saks Fifth Avenue, Salli Hansen Nail Products, Sporanox, Sprint, Tostitos, Vaseline Intensive Care Products, Verizon, Woolworth

Television credits include: Always Maxi Pads, Certs, Chock Full O Nuts, Clinique, Cortaid, Diet Coke, Dr. Scholl's, Dunkin' Donuts, Haagen-Daz, Hallmark, Infusium, Keds, Keri Lotion, L'Oreal, Lysol, Maybelline, McDonalds, Nabixsco, Neutrogena, New Balance, Pillsbury, Playtex Living Well Gloves, Remington, Ritz Crackers, Skippy Peanut Butter, Stella Doro, ThermaSilk, Toilet Duck, Tums, Vaseline Intensive Care, Wendy’s, Woolite

Magazine picture credits include: Accessories, Allure, Brides, Cosmopolitan, Elle, First for Women, Fitness, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Marie Claire, McCalls, Mirabella, New York Magazine, Self, Seventeen, Vogue

Book covers: Andrew Greeley's An Occasion of Sin, Lawrence Sanders' Private Pleasures

Hand Care Expert

Human hands are one of the great miracles of evolution. The complicated anatomy and twenty seven bones of the hand allows for more dexterity and fine muscle control than in any other part of the human body. Through the touch of our fingers and the movement of our hands we constantly express ourselves.
Our hands are always on display, and are usually the first physical contact we have with another person. They not only introduce us but also describe us. Our hands can reveal a tremendous amount of information, including our age and state of health, how nervous or confident we are, how much attention we pay to details, even our profession and hobbies.

What do your hands say about you? Do they convey what you would like them to? Or do they reveal more than you would like?

Over the past few years it has become abundantly clear to me that questions about hand care are universal, crossing all generational, ethnic and economic boundaries. Wherever I go, the same situation occurs. When people learn that I am a hand model, they thrust their hands into my face and I am barraged with questions.

I have found that most people are dissatisfied with the appearance of their hands. They hide their hands in their pockets or sit on them, rather than show them with pride. I call this the “hidden hand syndrome.” While we have been oversaturated with advice on how to keep our faces young and beautiful, the subject of caring for our hands has been neglected.

As the National Enquirer says...I'm the "World's Most Famous Hand Model". The incredible success I have had as a hand model is solely based on my ability to keep my hands looking young and healthy. I have always been a “hand detective” and used myself as a guinea pig. These years of care have paid off in that my hands are even more amazing now then when I started 15 years ago.

My hand care regimen is extreme due to the nature of my work. But I feel that what I have learned can help any person to have hands that they show with pride. I am the Suze Orman of Hand Care. Ready to spread the word that anyone can have happy, healthy hands, easily and inexpensively.

As 40 becomes the new 30, and the population continues to age, hand care is getting significantly more important to the average person. People come up to me everyday saying that while they know how to care for their faces - and that they are physically fit - their hands are giving away their age. There is a need for further hand care education. As a mid-aged woman whose hands look fabulous, I am a perfect person to be the educator.