cheiro-, cheir-, chiro-, chir-, -cheiria, -chiria +

A reference to cheiral, chiral.

Most biomolecules, including skin care ingredients, are chiral. This means they have a “left” and a “right” chemical orientation, much like our hands.

Chiral molecules, like our hands, are identical mirror images of each other. Some of these fit into the skins receptors while others do not. Generally speaking only one of the mirror images is good for the skin, the other may cause skin irritation.

An example of chirality would be Vitamin C which is fifty precent left-handed (L-ascorbic acid) and fifty precent right-handed (D-ascorbic acid). Research has shown that only the “L” version is an effective antioxidant, making it "chirally correct". The other half "D" is not chirally correct and can be irritating to the skin.

1. Touching with the hands.
2. Massage, friction.

Arthritis of the hand and fingers.

Pain in the hands and arms.

The ability to feel, or a sense of the movements of one's hands: Well-developed cheirocinesthesias are important for musicians so they can play their instruments skillfully.

1. Beautifying the hands; the art of manicure.
2. If an active ingredient is chirally correct; that is, if it has the right optical activity so as to be recognized and "fit" the chemistry of the human body, it will do the job nature designed it to do.

"Chiral incorrectness" and the use of petroleum byproducts are the two principal reasons that mainstream skin care really can't offer any hope of delivering meaningful results.

The science of optically corrected organic compounds is called chirality and the science of chirality is said to have started with Louis Pasteur, who discovered that biologically active molecules often occur in two mirror-image forms called isomers or simply, "hands".

These "hands" can be visualized as "sides" in which the only similarity is that they look the same.

Although they are stereo images of each other, the chirally correct side has a positive result but the chirally incorrect side can have negative results in cosmetic compounds.

The process of unzipping or separating these two sides is called chiral resolution, and the end result is that the chirally correct side can be isolated and used in highly beneficial ways, and the dangerous, harmful side can be discarded.

Some cosmetic companies claim to be producing cosmeceauticals that are "pharmacologically active products" which "blur the line between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals".

The biochemistry of the human body is said to have become increasingly chirally selective and chirally pure which is partially a result of environmental attack and toxin overload.

A government or country that is ruled with "strong hands" or by physical force: There are some people who maintain that certain countries have always been cheirocracies or chirocracies.

Some people maintain that China has always been a chirocracy, and if this is true, there are also many other countries that fit this description.

Examples of additional nations that practice cheirocracy include North Korea, some Arabic countries, and even former President Trump of the U.S.A. who restricted immigrants coming in from Mexico with military forces.

1. The art of judging character by the shape and appearance of the hand.
2. Foretelling (knowing) the future by studying a person's hand.

Someone who practices chirognomy; "a palm reader".

1. The alleged art or science of estimating character by inspection of the hand; "palm reading".
2. The art of judging character by the shape and appearance of the hand.

The ostensible diagnosis based on the overall shape of hands, the shapes of parts of the hand (palms, fingers, and nails), the size of the mounts (cushions) of the palm, and skin texture. For example, small, flat nails supposedly indicate a predisposition to heart disease, particularly if their "moons" are barely visible; and nails with furrows allegedly indicate weakness of the lungs, especially if the nails are long, wide, and curved.

1. Able to distinguish the left from the right side of the body.
2. The ability to perceive which side of the body is being stimulated.
3. The ability to distinguish or recognize one's own or another's hand or parts of the hand.

1. A writing which, requiring a counterpart, was written twice on the same piece of parchment, with a space between, in which was written the word chirographum, through which the parchment was cut, and one part given to each party. It answered to what is now called a charter party.
2. Applied technically to the various documents that were formally written, engrossed, or signed "by hand" rather than by other means of publication.

A charter party, as mentioned in #1, is defined as an instrument in writing, from the sovereign power of a state or country, executed in due form, bestowing rights, franchises, or privileges.

A writer by hand: A cheirographist is someone who presents penmanship that is written on "important documents" as an apostolic letter written and signed by the pope.

1. Handwriting; autograph, style or character of handwriting; especially, penmanship.
2. Of or pertaining to chirography.

A mechanical contrivance for exercising the fingers of a pianist.