My Glamorous Life as a Professional Hand Model

Diapers, snakes, Andy Samberg—Ashly Covington never knows what she’ll be asked to hold for her job, but she knows she must handle it with care. Over the 20 years since she went full-time as a hand or “parts” model in 2002, she has been fine-tuning her expertise in an industry that feels both hyper-specific and, as she tells VICE, demanding in the most unexpected ways. Over the years, she has mentally and physically trained herself to poke, grip, fan, slide, and spotlight everything from hundreds of lemons to precious gemstones and readied her hands to be dunked, drizzled upon, and placed in a stranger’s mouth at a moment's notice.

As fate would have it, superhandmodeling also runs in the family. “At first, I didn’t even know hand modeling was a specific career,” Covington says. “But after my first job, I found out that my grandmother used to be a hand model for old typewriter ads back in the 1940s.” Now, as both the literal and figurative torch bearer of the family vocation, Covington could give a Masterclass in how to pamper, prep, and protect one’s hands for the limelight. 

We asked Covington how life on the hand modeling grind has affected everything from her hobbies to her sex life and how her go-to “sock regime” keeps her palms looking perfect.

VICE: How did you get into hand modeling? 
Ashly Covington: As a child, I wanted to be an actress. I did a handful of runway shows when I was a teen in my hometown in Richmond, VA, but had never really considered modeling. I was a theater major in college, and after college, I was trying to get headshots and representation in my hometown. An agent recommended that I “focus on my hands instead of my face.” Ha! I started working locally and eventually expanded my location to anywhere that needs a hand. I am often in NYC and LA for work.

What kind of campaigns do you do?
Huggies to Harry Winston and everything in between. I’ve held 30 million dollar diamonds, and I’ve held snakes. My hands have been covered in slime, dunked in milk, and covered in feathers. I’ve held every kind of soda, burger, and gemstone.

How much does hand modeling pay?
That is the hardest question to answer because, as a freelancer, I never know! I've had jobs that ranged from $150 to $10,000 a day. But the $10k day was a unicorn day. It was a SAG commercial, and we shot 13 different commercials on the same day, and they have to pay your daily rate each hour. 

I think any misconception that hand modeling will make you rich comes from people finding out that some jobs pay, for example, $1,200 a day—that happens a lot—and they think that hand models get that every day. Hand models do not! My last job was three weeks ago, and that is very normal. I have nothing booked right now, and that is also very normal. Hand jobs come up very last minute a lot of the time, and I've canceled a lot of vacations and plans when a job comes up because you don't know when the next one will be. Even though modeling is not a track to get rich, I was able to do it full-time for over 15 years, and I think that is because I was always good with saving. 

Have you had to adjust some of your hobbies for hand modeling?
In terms of off-limit things, I used to really love to play foosball and after I became a full-time hand model, I really had to almost stop because I would always get bruising on my wrists from using them as a stopper for the handles and the risk of breaking a nail was high. I never was much of a sunbather, so avoiding activities in full sun wasn’t much of a bother for me. I do take extra care if I am going to be outside for long periods of time, as I have to make sure that I don’t tan.

What’s your typical day-in-the-life routine?
Every day is different. A typical at-home day is getting up, stretching, and walking, followed by computer work and research. I moisturize a lot, using my fave extra virgin olive oil throughout the day.

What about a day on set? 
A typical day at work is always a surprise. I’ve had call times at every hour of the day and no shoots are the same. I’ve squeezed lemons for hundreds of commercials and each time is different. The constants are working with amazingly talented people from the food stylists to the props team to the grips and directors. The people on set are the best things about this job. And the food—there is usually really great catering and craft service.

Could you pick your hands out from a campaign lineup?
I can. My mom might be able to. I do have one friend, Nate, who has never been wrong about picking my hands. Every once in a while, he’ll text me a photo, and in 20 years he’s never been wrong. 

Does hand modeling affect your sex life?
That might be another misconception. I haven’t found myself in an intimate situation where I felt like my hands would be in danger. It’s far riskier getting on and off the subway during rush hour in NYC. I was cut by a ring on the subway once on my way to an audition, which I did not get because I was bleeding. The only times I have injured my hands have been out in the world. Car doors are far more injurious to my nails than any lovers.

What are some of your most memorable work stories?
One of my favorite on-set stories is the day I spent hiding being Andy Samberg. I sat on an apple box behind him and had one arm wrapped around his waist to be able to keep my balance. My other arm went up his shirt sleeve and rested on his face. It was hysterical, and I think I must have spent hours with my arms wrapped around him. 

It was great fun to be Andy’s hands, and yet this is one of the oddest things that a hand model has to do. We have to become a person’s hands while hiding the rest of our body and making our hands look natural and a part of the person. Putting fingers in relative strangers' mouths is the oddest. “Hi, nice to meet you. Now I’m going to stick my fingers in your mouth and smear lipstick for this beauty campaign.” It is good to be able to make friends quickly—otherwise, the situation can become uncomfortable.

How do you practice hand modeling?
Hand models become contortionists. You have to know how to hold something and how every single finger looks on the product without seeing your hand. I spent years practicing in front of mirrors and still use my daily life as a practice. When I pour my glass of lemonade with my lunch, I often pour with my left hand for practice and then try pouring at various heights to keep in ‘hand shape’ on the days I’m not working.

Do you have any favorite hand care products or tips?
The golden rule of hand care is to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I love extra virgin olive oil and jojoba oil. I carry a bottle of olive oil around and constantly reapply. You don’t need to use a lot and it does not leave your hands feeling greasy. 

I always take nail polish off immediately after a shoot and leave them natural until I need to have them polished for work. Polish can also be quite drying to the nail. Hoof Alive is one of my secret cuticle cure-alls; yes, it’s for horses, [but] it will help keep human nails healthy and strong. I think it’s the magic that allows me to grow my nails out quickly after they have been filed short for a shoot.

Another trick is sleeping in cotton gloves or socks. I actually prefer socks on my hands at night and will start wearing them a few nights before a big shoot. The sock regime involves moisturizing my hands with olive oil and rubbing some jojoba oil on my nails. I follow this up with a layer of cocoa butter, then finish it off with a light layer of Vaseline, [which] helps to hold the moisturizing layers overnight. Love this. This trick will give you the softest hands. 

Do you have any advice for people who want to get into hand modeling?
I just started a TikTok account where I am talking about how to get started in hand modeling! Learn how to move your hands. It is great to have beautiful hands and to be able to hold something nice, but if you can manipulate products well, you will work.