When you leave a band-aid on your finger for a long time, why does the finger become all white and wrinkley?

Answer 1

its called "maceration". The bandaid traps moisture against your skin.

Answer 2

Hi... the first poster is right, that the band-aid is basically keeping moisture on the area where it's been placed and that's why your finger gets all pruny. But if you want to know why your skin get pruny as a result of moisture in the first place, then check out this article: http://healthcorner.walgreens.com/display/128.htm. Basically, areas of skin that are exposed to water, and particularly ones that don't have a lot of sebacious glands creating a barrier on your skin, tend to soak up water and become swollen with moisture (hence the pruniness, and hence pruniness on your fingers and feet but not on your face or anywhere else).

Answer 3

Michael Jackson had vitiligo universa, it is the worse one of all vitiligo conditions, it rapidly changes your skin to a white,transparent color, on the vitiligo foundations site, they posted a you tube video of when he was younger and all through his entertainment career, and you can clearly see that he had spots on his face, cheeks, especially his neck, even back then.. What many don't know his that sometimes when a person is injured/stressed (the pepsi burning incident) it can trigger vitiligo, or speed up existing vitiligo, in the late 80's his was diagnosed with universa, and thats the worse stage, its when the condition makes you lose all of your melanin in your skin, there is no real cure, only treatment that uses ultra violet rays to try in get color back, which is often used in early stages, there is also creams that often dont work.. but once the vitiligo universa kicks in, there is treatment that can help speed up the process. Thats why many thought Michael bleached his skin.. that is a false statement by far. Michael's stressful life clearly did not help his condition.. furthermore, to answer your question.. the tape, then later the glove, covered up his ever changing color... BE WELL-TR

Answer 4

because your finger still perspires, moisture coming from your pores can't evaporate because of the bandaid, making it wet > turning white and wrinkly, a bit like when you've been in the pool for a fair while.

Answer 5

Usually it's moisture. Did you use an disinfectant cream if so it's because the ointment kept the area moist and didn't let the area dry.

Answer 6

because u sweat under the band aid and the moisture cant escape

Answer 7

the bandaid causes moisture/
It looks like your hands do when you swim a long day or you are doing the dishes

Answer 8

Because your skin can't "breath". You foot dose the same thing in socks and shoes.