Attractive hands come with tender loving care that begins at home. But once you get to work, there are various ways to keep them soft, supple and presentable throughout the day.

Hand-care professional Joycie Lewis of Ladue, Mo., says keeping a good hand or cuticle cream in your purse and office desk drawer is a a start. "Considering this day and time we live in, we're washing hands often, which can be drying. It's very important to keep a cream on the hands," she says.

A three-way nail buffer can also be a hand-saver, particularly is you chip a nail right before an important meeting. "Lightly buff the nail down," Lewis advises. "That will get you through the day instead of your having to rip the whole tip off." Be careful when choosing fingernail polish colors to wear to the office, Lewis warns. Some hues require more maintenance than others. "I really suggest that you keep a nice neutral color on," she says, "because it shows less wear."

Many experts say polishing nails shouldn't be done during office hours. "I'm not sure how well that would go over with a CEO walking in and seeing you apply nail polish," Lewis says.