After spending enough time in the bath or swimming pool, our fingers start to look different. The skin on our fingertips becomes covered in small wrinkles.

For years, the simple explanation was that the skin was simply absorbing water and swelling. In reality, the process is a little more interesting.

What happens to our fingers?

Finger wrinkling after being in water is an active process linked to the autonomic nervous system.

When our fingers stay underwater, the small blood vessels underneath the skin constrict. This reduces blood flow and volume in the area, causing the skin to pull inward and form the familiar wrinkles.

So it is not simply because the skin absorbs water?

Not exactly.

Water plays a role in starting the process, but the wrinkling itself appears to depend largely on the function of nerves and blood vessels.

In fact, fingers with disrupted nerve supply may not develop normal water wrinkles. This is one reason the phenomenon has also been used as a simple test of autonomic nerve function.

Why does the body do this?

This is where things get even more interesting.

One of the main theories is that the wrinkles may help our fingers handle objects in wet conditions.

Studies have found that wrinkled fingers can improve grip efficiency when handling wet objects.

This does not mean that this is the only reason our fingers wrinkle. The exact function of the phenomenon is still not completely understood.

Why doesn't our whole body wrinkle?

The effect is much more noticeable on the palms and soles, which have some special characteristics.

Our fingers, palms and soles have hairless skin and rich nerve supply, which is related to the way these areas respond to water.

How long does it take?

There is no exact amount of time that applies to everyone.

How quickly wrinkles appear can be affected by water temperature, the properties of the water and other factors. Recent research has also found considerable differences between people in how quickly the wrinkles develop.

What to remember

Wrinkled fingers after being in water are not simply the result of the skin “soaking up” water.

The process is linked to the autonomic nervous system and the constriction of small blood vessels in the fingers. There is also evidence that the wrinkles may help us handle wet objects more efficiently.

A small everyday change in our body turns out to involve a surprisingly interesting mechanism. https://healthpont.com/why-do-our-fingers-wrinkle-in-water/