LosAngelesFingerprint.com is an educational publication owned and operated by Anshin Mobile Notary & Livescan. The publication explains what applicants are rarely told about fingerprint science, fingerprint quality, and the work performed during a fingerprint appointment. Anshin Mobile Notary & Livescan provides professional Live Scan fingerprinting in Los Angeles.
This article is based on observations made while fingerprinting thousands of applicants, including people whose dry, cracked, or flaky fingertips required additional preparation before usable images could be captured.
“Should I put lotion on my hands?”
Applicants ask us this when they see the first image of a dry fingerprint appear on the scanner. The ridges may look pale and broken. Fine white lines may run through the image. Parts of the fingertip may appear to be missing even though the fingerprint pattern is still there.
A little moisture can help, but ordinary hand lotion is not automatically the answer. The wrong lotion, too much lotion, or lotion applied immediately before fingerprinting can coat the fingers and the scanner. That can make the next image worse instead of better.
Why Dry Fingers Can Be Difficult to Capture
One of the first things we look at during a fingerprint appointment is the condition of the applicant’s skin. We are not only looking at the fingerprint pattern. We are looking at whether the raised friction ridges can make clean, even contact with the scanner.
When the fingertips are extremely dry, we may see:
- Fine white lines running across the fingerprint image
- Broken or interrupted ridge detail
- Cracks in the skin
- Loose or flaky skin
- Ridges that appear faint or worn
- Areas that do not record clearly
The fingerprint has not necessarily disappeared. The problem is often the contact between the dry friction-ridge skin and the scanner platen.
During electronic Live Scan fingerprinting, the technician can see that problem as each image is captured. Dryness often appears as gaps or white lines where continuous ridge detail should be visible. When fingerprints are recorded on ink fingerprint cards, dry or worn ridges can also produce faint or incomplete impressions.
Why Ordinary Hand Lotion May Make the Image Worse
Applicants usually think about lotion as skincare. A fingerprint technician thinks about what that lotion will do when the finger touches the scanner.
Many everyday lotions are intended to leave a moisturizing layer on the skin. If that layer remains on the fingertips, it can transfer to the platen. The fingerprint may become overly dark, smeared, or poorly defined. Residue left on the platen can also interfere with the fingers captured afterward.
This is why we advise clients to avoid applying any ordinary lotion to one’s fingers before an appointment.
The objective is not to make the hands feel soft. The objective is to give dry friction ridges just enough temporary moisture to make better contact without leaving a coating between the ridges and the scanner.
What We Use When Fingers Are Too Dry
When an applicant’s fingertips are visibly dry or flaky, we use Corn Huskers Lotion. It has been available for many years, although applicants in Los Angeles are often unfamiliar with it because it is not commonly found on the West Coast. It is an oil-free, glycerin-containing lotion that has also appeared in FBI training material about improving dry or worn fingerprint ridges.
We use only a very small amount. I will often place some on my own fingertips first so the applicant can see how little is needed and how thoroughly it should be rubbed into the fingers. The goal is to work it into the dry skin—not leave a wet layer sitting on the surface.
After the applicant rubs it into the fingertips, we give it time to absorb and dry. We may have the applicant fan their hands in the air. Sometimes we use a folder to gently fan air across the fingers and help the remaining surface moisture evaporate.
This step matters. If Corn Huskers is still wet when the applicant places a finger on the scanner, we have exchanged one fingerprint-quality problem for another. The fingers may no longer be too dry, but the remaining wetness can make the image overly dark or smeared and can leave residue on the scanner platen.
Before capturing another fingerprint, we look closely at the fingertips and may blot or wipe away anything that has not been absorbed. What we want is skin that is no longer excessively dry but is also not visibly wet, slippery, or coated.
Applicants are often surprised by how precise this process is. Corn Huskers can help dry friction ridges make better contact with the scanner, but only after a tiny amount has been thoroughly rubbed in, allowed to absorb, and any remaining surface moisture has been removed.
More Lotion Does Not Mean Better Fingerprints
Fingerprint preparation is a matter of balance.
If the hands are damp from perspiration, we may need to dry them. If the fingers are extremely dry, we may need to add a minute amount of moisture. In either situation, we watch what the scanner records and make small adjustments.
After treating dry fingers, we may capture one finger and examine the result before continuing. If the ridges are still faint, the technician may adjust the positioning or pressure, massage the finger toward the fingertip, or allow more time for the product to absorb. If the image has become too dark, the fingers and platen may need to be wiped again.
This is why an applicant should not keep adding lotion independently during the appointment. The scanner image—not the way the skin feels—tells us whether the preparation is helping.
Ordinary Dryness Is Different From a Chronic Skin Condition
Temporary surface dryness can often be improved during an appointment. Eczema and other dermatological conditions can present a different problem.
A chronic skin condition may produce scaling, peeling, inflammation, deep cracking, or thickened areas that interrupt contact with the scanner. When deeper injury or scarring has persistently altered the friction-ridge structure, a moisturizing product cannot recreate ridge detail that is no longer present in its original form.
That does not mean the technician stops trying.
We work with the ridge detail available on that person’s hands. We may use a minute amount of an appropriate product, let it absorb, carefully remove loose surface flakes or residue, adjust the pressure, and capture each finger as clearly as possible. Some fingers may record better than others.
A technician can improve the capture process, but cannot cure a skin condition or guarantee how another agency will evaluate the submitted fingerprints.
What To Do Before Your Fingerprint Appointment
If your hands are mildly dry, ordinary moisturizing during the days before the appointment may help improve the general condition of the skin. The important distinction is between caring for your hands beforehand and coating your fingertips immediately before they are scanned.
On the day of your appointment:
- Arrive with clean hands.
- Avoid applying a heavy or oily product immediately beforehand.
- Tell the technician if you have eczema, cracked fingertips, an injury, or another condition affecting your hands. The technician can usually annotate the fingerprint with a description of the condition.
- Let the technician see the first images before deciding that lotion is necessary.
- Do not add more product unless the technician asks you to.
If the skin is temporarily split, bleeding, or experiencing a severe flare, ask whether waiting for it to improve is possible. That decision may depend on your deadline and the reason you are being fingerprinted. Questions about treating the underlying condition should be directed to a qualified healthcare professional.
Why Technician Judgment Matters
There is no single preparation method that works for every applicant.
Two people may both describe their hands as dry while producing very different fingerprint images. One may need a nearly invisible amount of Corn Huskers Lotion. Another may need only a pressure adjustment. A third may have worn or scarred ridges that cannot be changed by adding moisture.
The technician’s job is to observe the hands, study the images being produced, and use the available tools without creating a new problem. That may mean adding moisture, removing moisture, cleaning the platen, changing pressure, repositioning a finger, or pausing long enough for the skin to settle.
Professional preparation improves the opportunity to capture clear ridge detail. It does not permit any fingerprint provider to promise that every submission will be accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I put lotion on my hands before fingerprinting?
Do not apply a heavy layer of lotion immediately before your appointment. If you have very dry fingers, make sure to tell the technician when you arrive. If your fingertips are too dry, the technician may use a very small amount of an appropriate product, allow it to absorb, and wipe away the excess before capturing your fingerprints.
What kind of lotion can be used for dry fingerprints?
At our appointments, we may use a tiny amount of Corn Huskers Lotion because it is oil-free and can help prepare dry friction ridges without the heavy coating left by many ordinary lotions. The amount and application technique are important.
Can eczema affect fingerprint quality?
Yes. Scaling, peeling, inflammation, cracking, and scarring can interfere with the way friction ridges contact the scanner. The effect varies from person to person and may be temporary or persistent depending on the condition of the skin.
What should I do if my fingertips are cracked or peeling?
Tell the fingerprint technician before the capture begins. Do not peel the skin or repeatedly apply lotion during the appointment. If the condition is severe and your deadline permits, ask whether it would be better to return after the skin has improved.
The Practical Lesson
Dry fingers sometimes need moisture before they can produce clear fingerprint images. But the solution is not simply to apply more lotion.
The right product must be used sparingly, allowed to absorb, and wiped from the surface before the fingers touch the scanner. What matters is not whether the hands feel moisturized. What matters is whether the friction ridges are producing clear, continuous detail.
That is why we prefer applicants to arrive with clean hands and let the technician decide what, if anything, the fingers need.
This article is part of Fingerprint Quality Clinic, where we cover what technicians actually look for at the scanner and why some impressions are harder to capture than others.
Also in this section: Why No Provider Can Guarantee Acceptance, Why Live Scan Fingerprints Get Rejected and Why Quality Problems Are More Common Among Elderly Applicants.