A body that has been immersed in water for some time will develop changes in the skin resembling "washerwoman hands".
With washerwoman skin:
(1) the skin is wrinkled, most notably over the hands and feet
(2) the epidermis over the hands and feet may eventually peel off like a glove or sock
Factors affecting development of washerwoman skin:
(1) the water temperature
(2) the length of time that the skin is immersed
(3) the salinity of the water
Wrinkling may appear within an hour if the water is warm (> 50°F), with degloving observable within a few hours. The same changes may take days in cold water.
The occurrence of skin wrinkling is independent of the manner of death.
The degloved skin can be used to obtain fingerprints.
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