What is the primary method for preparing your hands after shaking a client's hands?

The primary method for preparing your hands after shaking a client's hands is to sanitize them. Sanitizing eliminates germs and bacteria that may have been transferred from the client's hands, ensuring that you maintain a hygienic environment in your practice. It is particularly important in esthetician services, where skin contact is prevalent and the risk of cross-contamination can arise.

While washing hands with soap and water is also an effective means of cleaning, it is often not practical in a quick setting, especially if soap and water are not readily accessible. Applying lotion is not relevant to the immediate cleaning process after a handshake and does not serve the purpose of sanitizing or disinfecting hands. Drying with a towel is a step that follows hand washing or sanitization, but it does not address the need to disinfect the hands after potential contact with bacteria or other pathogens. Therefore, sanitizing is the most efficient way to prepare your hands in this specific context.