What causes the skin on your fingers to wrinkle after they have been soaking in water for an extended period?

Answer 1

Your skin is made up of two layers. The outer layer is called the epidermis and the lower level is the dermis. The outer layer (epidermis) produces an oily substance called sebum. You can see this substance when you touch a window or mirror and your "oily" fingerprint is left there. One job sebum does is it keeps water out of your skin—a job that it does very well. However, after long periods of time in a swimming pool, shower, or bathtub, much of the sebum is washed off and your outer layer of skin starts to absorb water. As it absorbs water it swells, but since the epidermis is "tied" down to your dermis in certain spots, it expands more where it is not "tied" down and this causes your skin to wrinkle. The difference between your skin and a raisin is that raisins wrinkle because they shrink, but your skin wrinkles because it is getting bigger.

Answer 2

Actually, all of your skin has absorbed the same amount of water. It's just that because the skin on your hands and feet is thinner, there is less area to absorb the water, and so the skin gets a wrinkled look.

Answer 3

All the chemicals found in water now days pulls out all the natural moisture found in your skin. you skin is dehydrated that is why water filters are selling so well now days. Also next time you go get your nails done pay attention see if you fingers wrinkle up if it's a good place they won't

Answer 4

your body is 90% water but it is a saline solution meaning it contains some salt. most water you soak in for any lenght of time would not contain salt there for osmosis takes over and in an attempt to equalize the concentration of salt in the fluids the water from your body moves into the water you are soaking in. causing a localized condition of dehydration in the finger tips

Answer 5

Water gets sucked into your body by something called osmotic pressure. This means that water with low salt content gets sucked into water with high salt content in the same way that hot air rushes into a cold room-it is attempting to reach equilibrium. Your body is mostly salt water, so when you sit in non-salt water, the water goes into your body. This is extreme in hot water because the high temperature opens up the pores in your skin and allows more water in.

Answer 6

oversaturating with water via osmotic route makes your keratinized cells of your skin loose its tension therefore making it wrinkled. however, exposure to the atmomosphere with low moisture concentration will reverse the process, thereby making the abosorbed water molecules diffuse out of skin and regain is original texture

Answer 7

Excess water in the skin tissue causing it to swell.

Answer 8

the oils in your skin that waterproof it are carried away by the water after some time... the cells absorb the water, then swell a bit...

Answer 9

It is from the moisture in you fingers leaking out.

Answer 10

Saturation of the epidermis.