Unlike other parts of our body, there is very little fat, collagen or elastin on the back of our hands, and the skin is much thinner than on our face. This thinner skin combined with sun exposure will make wrinkles appear faster on our hands than anywhere else on our body.

You should spend a few minutes on your hands every so often with a quick manicure and protect them from the elements. Here's a few must-dos on how to care for your hands:

1) Always wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning or gardening.

2) Use mild ph soaps when washing your hands and always apply a lotion afterwards.

3) Use a sunscreen on your hands when out in the sun.

4) Be sure to dry your hands properly by patting them dry, not rubbing. Cold, damp hands can lead to fungal infections.

5) Be careful with repetitive motions such as typing and mouse clicking as they may cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

6) Be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin B in your diet. A lack of these can cause ridged nail beds and dry brittle nails that chip easily.

One thing to be sure of, whether you get your manicures or pedicures from the salon or you do it yourself, is to make sure all equipment you use is clean and sterile. Here are a few all-natural nail care recipes to make up and use for your next DIY mani-pedi. They're great because they have no chemicals or additives, which makes them gentle, but effective on your nails and skin.

Hand Massage of Lemon and Rosewater - All you need is a few drops of lemon juice, 5 drops of rosewater and 1 tsp of glycerin. Mix these ingredients together and massage into your hands and cuticles for 20 to 30 minutes.

Lemon Nail Soak -Combine a cup of bottled water, the juice of a lemon, 1tbsp of aloe vera gel and 10 drops of lemon essential oil. Soak your fingers in this for about 10 minutes on each hand.

Nourishing Hand Moisturizer - Mix up some cucumber juice and glycerin and applied on your hands each evening before bed. This will give your hands a fresh, healthy look.

Dry Hand Softener - Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with a teaspoon of sugar and a little water. Rub this mixture on your hands and let sit for 5 minutes then wash off with warm water and dry thoroughly.

Hand Mask - You can tighten the skin on the back of your hands, and prevent the formation of wrinkles when you mix up some egg whites, like a meringue, and spread it on your hands. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.

Get Rid Of Age Spots - Slather some natural, plain Greek yogurt on the back of your hands or wherever you may have age spots. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse. Repeat every 3 days and you'll soon see the age spots disappear.

Follow the above mentioned tips and keep your hands looking soft, supple, young and beautiful forever! beautiful hands are the result of dedicated hand care and maintenance

Alex is a freelance graphic artist & marketing pro with a passion for writing. She understands the value of looking and feeling great when meeting new clients and believes in basic, natural skincare is the key for more beautiful looking skin. If you enjoyed this article, check out a few of her others; How To Combat Dry Skin Naturally or How To Highlight Your Hair Naturally.

Do you bite your nails, then I would like to ask if you have ever considered the other negatives and would like to stop biting fingernails once and for all? Obvious effects of nail biting of course mean that you have no nails to speak of and that you may bite your finger-tips as well. This may lead to red and sore fingers which are not that attractive!

You may not be surprised to know that you can easily deform your nails, but there are a series of other effects that people don't always think about and which can carry several negative effects on your fingers and general health. Here are just a few reasons to stop biting your fingernails.

As mentioned above, you may have red, sore finger-tips that may lead to minor or severe bleeding from the cuticles. Such aggressive habitual chewing can lead to some bad infections in the nail bed itself and even in the mouth. In turn, infections or viruses in the mouth can badly affect your teeth and gums and lead to more visits to the dentist that you would like.

It's perhaps obvious to note that transference of infection occurs between the fingers and mouth while you are absent mindedly chewing away at your nails. This absent minded biting often occurs when people get stressed or anxious and may also be a sign of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Getting medical treatment for anxiety or OCD may help you stop biting your fingernails.

If anxiety is a problem for you then it will only be heightened by your knowledge that nail biting is socially unacceptable, making you think about it more and making a greater conscious effort not to bite your nails in public. This is of course a cycle that must be broken and you will certainly need medication and perhaps therapy to stop it.

I'm assuming you know by now that you should stop biting your fingernails. I suggest you first try and identify the reason why you engage in this type of behaviour. When you have done that, if there a medical reason (e.g. OCD or anxiety), then get help.

It is likely that you don't have any particular reason to bite your nails other than to satisfy a habit. If so, there are several methods available to you to try. Not all will work for you, and it may take some time (and money) to find the best method for you personally to stop biting your fingernails, just dont give up.