Admit it. You spenda lot of time and money taking care of your skin and hair-from sheet masks to professional peels, DIY hair treatments and root touch-ups. But there's one area that often gets neglected- your hands.

One of the first places to show signs of aging, other than your décolletage, is your hands. So until someone discovers the Fountain of Youth, we recommend turning to the pros for their beauty secrets.

With that, we reached out to essie celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders and professional hand model Christina Ambers for their tips on how to keep your hands forever young. Here's what they had to say!

"If you want to keep your hands looking young, just pay more attention to them-it's that simple", says Michelle. "For example, at home, most people just wash their hands and then add hand lotion. I suggest going deeper, just as you would with facial skincare."

If there's no time for a polish change or manicure, Michelle suggests using a quality base coat to protect the nail from daily wear and tear, along with an oil to keep nails healthy and cuticles soft.

Michelle recommends using essie and essie apricot cuticle oil.

Below you'll find her routine for youthful-looking hands:

1. Wash hands with a moisturizing cleanser.

2. Exfoliate hands to remove rough, dead skin.

3. Add a serum to hands depending on your needs (e.g. brightening or anti-aging).

4. In the evening, finish with a deep penetrating moisturizer, and for day, add a dollop of sunscreen to the back of your hands as you would your face.

Continue reading for our Q&A with the Beyoncé of hand models, Christina Ambers, where she discusses the parts-modeling biz, holding baby animals and things to avoid (ahem, washing dishes).

What does the path to becoming a hand model look like?

Christina Ambers: First and foremost, you must make sure your hands and nails are in perfect condition. This may take time. Nails need to grow out and scars have to heal. Also, you may need to implement lifestyle changes. For example, if you like to make pottery or paint, you may have to give that up since clay and paint can get trapped in the skin and nails and cause staining. Next, you need to have professional photographs taken. Choose a photographer who knows how to light hand shots correctly-with and without products.

What do you put on your hands & nails in-between shoots to keep them looking beautiful?

CA: When I'm not working, I keep my nails free of nail polish. Not surprisingly, moisturizing constantly is key. I find it works best to rotate between different hand creams on a regular basis. Cuticle oils and creams are very important.

CA: I avoid products that have a high concentration of alcohol and fragrance (since perfumes are mostly alcohol). Alcohol is extremely drying, so hand sanitizers are off limits. I scrub diligently with gentle options, like glycerine soap.

CA: I don't wash dishes by hand. I use a dishwasher.

Is there something you do regularly to keep your hands looking soft and youthful that most people don't know or forget to do?

CA: Anytime my skin gets wet, I moisturize immediately after. And I avoid using nail files more than once. In the same way a hairdresser needs sharp scissors to avoid split ends, nail files should be sharp so they don't cause splitting and breakage down the line.

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How do you keep your hands looking forever young? Share your tips in the comments below!

Tell us about your most memorable hand-modeling experience!

CA: I've had so many wonderful modeling experiences, it's impossible to select just one. I've worn multimillion dollar pieces of jewelry and held all sorts of animals, from baby tigers to snakes.