By Afsaneh Khetrapal, BSc
Water molecules naturally flow through a semipermeable membrane from a high concentrationarea to a lowconcentration area through a process called osmosis. When a person stays in a water bath for a prolonged time, osmosis occurs and the water flows into the upper skin cells, which then take up the water. Shrinking and expanding effects take place simultaneously in these skin cells, causing wrinkles.
Toes wrinkled after bath - Image Credit: Taratorki / Shutterstock
The wrinkling effect mostly pops up on the thickest layer of the skin. This layer is found on the inner surface of the hands and feet due to their constant rubbing against rough surfaces, i.e., the wrinkling effect is greater in hands and feet, where the thickest layer of the skin exists.
For better understanding of this process, knowledge of the anatomy of skin is necessary.
Skin anatomy
The skin has three layers:
- Inner(deepest) layer/subcutaneous tissue – made of fats and connective tissue
- Middle layer/dermis – contains blood vessels, nerves, hair roots, and sweat glands
- Outermost layer/epidermis – protects the internal layers from harm and avoids evaporation of water from the body
The epidermis has four sub-layers:
- The stratum corneum
- Granular layer
- Squamous cell layer
- Basal cell layer
In the epidermis, newly formed cells (nucleus) stay at the bottom while the older cells (involutes) are pushed upward continuously to form a dead keratin cell layer. This is a continuous or programmed cell death process that happens on the skin in the human life cycle.
The stratum corneum is the part that one can see and feel, and is made of dead keratin cells. These cells are responsible for the formation of wrinkles in the fingers and toes. Keratin is a protein that is also found on nails and hair.
Facts about wrinkling
Researchers believe that some reactions controlled by the autonomic nervous system result in wrinkling in the fingers or toes. Two cases that likely play a vital role in skin wrinkling due to soaking in water are explained.
Case 1: The outermost layer of the skin is provided with sebum oil, which protects, lubricates, and moistens the skin. This oil layer acts as a waterproof on our skin and so, when we wash our hands the water runs off. However, spending a longer time in water washes away the sebum and the water is able to penetrate into the outermost layer of the skin, and thereby cause wrinkles.
Case 2: The skin is majorly comprised of keratin (especially in fingers and toes), therefore it absorbs water when in contact with it for long. This is a normal biological mechanism that causes wrinkles. These wrinkles are technically called aquatic wrinkles.
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This type of wrinkling of the skin happens due to digital vasoconstriction, which is a process of narrowing of blood vessels. When the hand is soaked in water, the nerve fiber in the skin shrinks and the body temperature regulator (glomus bodies in the skin) in the hand loses its volume. Thus the epidermis of the skin is pulled downward, forming wrinkles. At present, the role of digital vasoconstriction is under investigation.
Why not in other Parts?
- There are more keratin cells in the epidermis of the hands and feet (especially fingers and toes) than in the other parts of the body. Therefore, bunching up of the skin is less in other parts and so wrinkling does not happen there.
- Although our nails and hair are also made of keratin, they absorb little water while bathing, and so they do not shrink in volume, instead they get softer.
When will it not happen?
Wrinkling will not happen to a finger or toe that has a sympathetic nerve cut, even if you soak them for the whole day. This is due to the nerve function loss that happens due to the cut.
People with other disorders or those with replanted amputated fingers that has resulted in nerve function loss will also show no wrinkling after soaking the fingers in water.
Advantage of wrinkled skin
Initially, it was thought that due to wrinkly skin, the sensitivity of the fingertip is reduced and damage to skin is increased.
In a recent study conducted on a sample population in three different contexts - normal, dry, and wrinkly hands (formed from soaking in warm water for 30 min), the participants were able to pick up wet marbles more quickly with wrinkled fingers. The study concluded that wrinkled fingers provide a better grip for holding objects.
A similar effect in the toes gives us a better grip while walking in the rain.
Studies also state that wrinkled fingers might have served an added advantage for our human ancestors to collect wet vegetables and food from streams.
What to do when we get wrinkles?
Fortunately, this is a temporary phenomenon. Aquatic wrinkles disappear rapidly and the skin returns to the normal state once the water in the fingers or toes has completely evaporated.
Further Reading
- All Skin Content
- Cutaneous Manifestations of Internal Malignancy
- What is Subcutaneous Tissue?
- Milia in Babies
- Causes of Dry Skin
FAQs
When a person stays in a water bath for a prolonged time, osmosis occurs and the water flows into the upper skin cells, which then take up the water. Shrinking and expanding effects take place simultaneously in these skin cells, causing wrinkles. The wrinkling effect mostly pops up on the thickest layer of the skin.
Why does skin become wrinkled in water? ›
Answer. The outermost layer of the skin swells when it absorbs water. It is tightly attached to the skin underneath, so it compensates for the increased area by wrinkling. However, new research is investigating the role of digital vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) of water immersion wrinkling of the skin.
Why do I get Pruney so fast? ›
When you lose too much water, your skin can start to feel less elastic and become wrinkled. This is called skin turgor. You can test this by gently pinching your skin and pulling upward as if to form a tent. If it's slow to snap back into place, you may be dehydrated.
Why does skin go wrinkly? ›
With aging, the skin naturally becomes less elastic and drier, with less fat and collagen in the deeper layers. This process results in the lines and creases typical of wrinkling.
Why does skin wrinkle in water passage? ›
Nerve fibers send a message about lower salt levels to your brain, and the autonomic nervous system responds by constricting the blood vessels. The narrowing of the blood vessels causes the overall volume of skin to reduce, puckering the skin into these distinct wrinkle patterns.
Does not drinking enough water make your skin wrinkly? ›
There could be another reason for the sudden increase in lines and wrinkles on your face – Dehydration. Dehydrated skin can indeed cause fine lines. If you do nothing to restore a healthy skin moisture balance, fine lines can become more prominent over time, leading to wrinkles.
What happens if you stay in water too long? ›
For reasons that still aren't well understood, human skin starts to break down after continuous immersion in water of a few days. You'd suffer open sores and be liable to fungal and bacterial infections just from the spores on your skin, even if the water itself was perfectly sterile.
Why do some people get more pruney than others? ›
The condition is tied to the function of the nervous system. Water can have this effect, but there are other causes as well. For instance, the pruning can happen due to fluid or nerve damage, both of which can signal an underlying medical condition.
Do you get more pruney when dehydrated? ›
If you have pruning skin from being in water, there's typically no need to stress. It's a normal occurrence and a way of your body protecting and helping you. But if you notice pruney or wrinkly skin and you haven't been in water, it may signal a health condition like: Dehydration.
What does pruney mean? ›
Resembling prunes, prune-like. adj. Of, or pertaining to, prunes. Additional Information. I stayed in the tub until my fingers were pruney and I had relived that library kiss over and over again.
Scientists think that they have the answer to why the skin on human fingers and toes shrivels up like an old prune when we soak in the bath. Laboratory tests confirmed a theory that wrinkly fingers improve our grip on wet or submerged objects, working to channel away the water like the rain treads in car tires.
Why am I wrinkly at 13? ›
You may be more at risk of getting wrinkles early in life if: You have sun-damaged skin or your skin is frequently exposed to the sun. You smoke tobacco products. Your body loses collagen, which gives your skin elasticity and support.
At what age do females start aging? ›
For some, the first signs of aging can show as early as their mid-20s, while others only notice wrinkles, sun spots, and sagging skin in their late 40s or even early 50s. Some people can also appear younger than their age, while others look way older. How does this happen? Why do some women age faster than others?
Why does skin get wrinkly in water? ›
When a person stays in a water bath for a prolonged time, osmosis occurs and the water flows into the upper skin cells, which then take up the water. Shrinking and expanding effects take place simultaneously in these skin cells, causing wrinkles. The wrinkling effect mostly pops up on the thickest layer of the skin.
Does water release wrinkles? ›
If your shirt is wrinkled and there is no iron in sight, cold water and a white towel can smooth out even the most resistant kinks and crinkles.
Why did fingers wrinkle after swimming? ›
Share on Pinterest Fingers can become “pruney” after a long bath or swimming. Pruney fingers occur when the nervous system sends a message to the blood vessels to become narrower. The narrowed blood vessels reduce the volume of the fingertips slightly, causing loose folds of skin that form wrinkles.
Why does your skin get soggy in water? ›
But staying in water for a long time washes away the sebum. Then, the water can penetrate the outer layer of your skin. This causes your skin to become waterlogged.
Does hard water make your skin wrinkly? ›
According to numerous dermatologists, most of the impurities present in hard water such as magnesium and iron can result in the formation of free radicals which damage healthy skin cells. This can usually result in wrinkles and fine lines. Damage from free radicals can even further result in collagen breakdown.
By Afsaneh Khetrapal, BSc
