Desiccation of fingertips typically occurs how many hours after death?

Desiccation of fingertips is a postmortem change linked to the loss of moisture from the skin after death. This process usually begins as the body cools and loses moisture due to exposure to air or environmental conditions. The correct timeframe for desiccation to typically occur is around 48-60 hours after death. During this period, the skin can dry out significantly, especially in areas like the fingertips where skin is thinner and more exposed.

Understanding this timeframe is essential in medicolegal death investigations because it helps professionals determine the time of death and assess whether other postmortem changes have occurred. Recognizing that desiccation is a gradual process further allows investigators to differentiate between postmortem intervals based on the degree of drying observed.