And do they shrivel in salt water too?
2006-07-10 04:26:36 · 7 answers · asked by rich m. 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
Why do your fingers wrinkle in the bathtub or pool? It seems like they would plump up, not shrivel.?
The skin on your fingers would plump up only if the water made your inner tissues expand more than your skin. In that case, a hot bath would make your fingertips look like ripe grapes. But the whole point of having skin is to keep out the elements, such as hot water. So the warm bath water touches only your skin, loosening up the cells so that the skin itself expands somewhat. Your same old fingers are then wearing a slightly oversized skin; wrinkles result for the same reason that adult socks look baggy on a baby's feet.
2006-07-10 04:32:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your fingers shrivel because your skin is absorbing water. When your skin absorbs water, it gets bigger and ripples form, especially where the skin makes tight curves (like around fingers and toes).
Your fingers should shrivel in salt water too, although the amount of time it takes could be different due to the salinity of the water.
Hope that helps! :-)
2006-07-10 11:32:28 · answer #2 · answered by bablunt 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "reverse osmosis." Your body is trying to equalize the water salinity between your body and the water your fingers are in. A tiny bit of water actually flows out of your body and your fingers shrivel.
2006-07-10 11:30:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't shrivel. It looks that way but actually you take in water. Also happens in salt water.
2006-07-10 11:29:52 · answer #4 · answered by Puppy Zwolle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the epidermis (outer skin) absorbs more water than the dermis (deeper skin) causing the outer skin to 'fit' more loosely.
2006-07-10 11:32:49 · answer #5 · answered by michaelsmaniacal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they soak in all the water
2006-07-10 11:29:32 · answer #6 · answered by zestful12 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
exosmosis
2006-07-10 11:29:51 · answer #7 · answered by midas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋