What if the applicant's hands are dry or flaky?

• A. Soak hands in warm water
• B. Use a small amount of hand lotion and wipe off residue
• C. Increase pressure during impression
• D. Retry with Type 14 only

Answer: (B)

When the skin on the hands is dry or flaky, it can create an uneven surface that interferes with proper contact and results in artifacts in the impression. A small amount of hand lotion helps restore moisture and smoothness, reducing flakes and cracking without leaving a heavy oily film. Wiping off any excess lotion prevents residue from transferring to the impression material, which could otherwise distort the result. Soaking in warm water would over-wet the skin and can cause swelling or future dryness; simply increasing pressure won’t address the surface condition; and changing to a different material type doesn’t fix the underlying issue of dry skin.