All the talk about HINI virus has put hand-washing back in the news. Health officials estimate that 80% od all infections are transmitted by our hands.

Few people wash their hands often enough. But it's not a good idea to go overboad, either. Excessive hand-washing may cause dried and/or cracked skin that can promote the growth of dangerous organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus.

How often should you wash your hands? Mpost people should wash at least 6 to 10 times daily-for example, before meals, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands or a tissue and after handleing garbage or raw meal or poultry.

To help ensure that your handwahing is effective , Robin L Travers MD, a dermatologist at SkinCare Physicans In Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts advises...

Apply lotion.

Ater washing your hands, pat them dry, then immediately apply lotion. Your hands will be somewhat mosit, so the lotion will be assorbed more effectively than when applied to dry skin. Try a product such as Aveeno Moisturizing Lotion or Cetaphil Mositurizing Lotion-both have dimethicone, a type of silicone that restores the skin's normal barrier.

Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you're away from a sink.

These products kill germs almost instanly. Another advantage: Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain mositurizing ingredients that make them less irritating than soap and water. Good Choices: Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer Mositure Therapy and Nexcare Hand Sanitizer.