Teorinfo ~ When swimming, have you ever seen your fingers become wrinkled after being in the water for some time? The part of our skin that does not have hair reacts very uniquely to the water where they will become wrinkled when immersed in water for a long time.
However, what exactly is the function of this reaction? Some people believe our skin becomes wrinkled after being soaked for some time because of the reaction that causes water to enter the skin and make it swollen.
However, in 1930 researchers discovered that this reaction was not due to a normal reflex or due to osmosis. This is determined because when some nerves are severed, this response will be lost.
Hence, it concludes that finger wrinkling after exposure to water is part of a functioning nervous system. Some have suggested that this response could be used to determine sympathetic nervous system responses such as breathing in non-responsive patients.
So, why do our hands actually get wrinkled? This is a response to constricted blood vessels under the skin. The nervous system sends signals to the blood vessels to tighten the blood vessels, which then causes a decrease in the volume of the fingertips.
This causes the loose folds we often see as wrinkles, which is believed to be part of an evolutionary function to tighten our grips in wet conditions.
However, if this condition occurs in the absence of water, you may need to consider medical possibilities. Although, if your skin is wrinkled due to a medical problem, other symptoms can also be observed just in case.
For example, dehydration can affect your skin and make it feel cold and dry, causing your fingertips to wrinkle. You can also observe other symptoms such as dry mouth and lips, decreased urine, dark yellowish urine, and headaches.
