Cold weather and dry, gusty winds are hard on hands, nails and cuticles. That's typical this time of year and throughout the winter, when manicures seem to look haggard just days after a trip to the nail salon. Besides the weather, the repeated application of hand sanitizer during cold and flu season makes fingers feel taut and claw-like all day.

Katie Cazorla, owner of the Painted Nail salon in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and star of the TV Guide Network's "Nail Files" show, has expert advice. She talked about treatments, products and precautions to use during the season of harsh weather, excessive hand-washing (and sanitizing) and travel.

"We see a lot of people for manicures this time of year, and the first thing I notice are the busted-up, dry cuticles," Cazorla said. "You can have a great manicure, but what's the point when you have bad, dry cuticles?"

The No. 1 offense, according to Cazorla, is cutting cuticles. Cuticles act as the nail's protective barrier, guarding against bacteria and infection. Snipping them away opens up the risk of infection and the chance that skin might grow back uneven or ragged.

"A hangnail or loose skin is the only thing that should ever be cut. Never cut live skin," Cazorla said. "Especially when it's dry and cold out, you'll start to see the cracks and openings. And people tend to pick at the dry skin, which is the worst thing you can do."

Rather than cutting, picking or biting, ask the nail technician to push the cuticles back (or do it yourself).

Once cuticles are intact, Cazorla recommends using a good cuticle oil. She likes the Painted Nail by Nubar sugar cookie oil ($12.50), but she also has an easy at-home remedy made of stuff that's probably already in your pantry. Mix a couple of teaspoons of olive oil with a spoonful of brown sugar, rub it onto the backs of hands and around the nail bed, then rinse off with warm water. The mixture is an exfoliant and moisturizer in one. It works not only on hands but also on elbows and feet.

Use olive oil or cuticle oil on the cuticles several times a week, especially during cold weather. This will keep the area free of scraggly dry skin and help preserve your manicure.

"In the winter, hands get so dry," Cazorla said. "Freshen up your manicure by adding a clear topcoat to nails a few days after getting them done, then rub cuticle oil into the nails and cuticles."

Paraffin treatments, offered at most salons, are an effective way to give hands a serious dose of moisture, she said, especially for hands that are cracked or rough. The treatment entails dipping hands into hot wax, letting them sit for a few minutes so the essential oils in the wax seep into the skin, peeling off the wax and rubbing lotion onto the hands.

Cazorla warns that salons with a communal vat of paraffin wax are to be avoided, because the wax is not hot enough to kill any bacteria that might form from so many people dipping their hands into the warm liquid. Look for places that have single servings of the wax. At the Painted Nail, hands are wrapped in individual bags of wax and then in a hot towel.

As for hand sanitizer, most formulas contain drying alcohol, which can leave hands feeling shriveled and parched.

Cazorla keeps a bottle of Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer ($1.50) nearby at all times, because the gel contains little moisturizing beads that burst onto the skin when rubbed in.

"It has Tahitian palm milk in it," she said. "Not only does it smell great and do its job, but it leaves your hands more moisturized."

Another one of her favorite moisturizing products is Mario Badescu hand cream ($10, www.mariobadescu.com), which has anti-aging properties, is SPF 10 and is housed in a purse-friendly container with a top that stays put so you can safely stow it in your bag or take it along when traveling.

Eucerin is a great drugstore option, she said.

"Anytime you wash your hands or use sanitizer, moisturize right after," she added.