• Question: why do your fingers go all wrinkly after you've had a bath or have gone swimming?

    Asked by 11jescar to James, Marcus, Martin, Rob, Suzanne on 15 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Martin Zaltz Austwick

      Martin Zaltz Austwick answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      I think your skin stretches. Is that right? (consults google) – yep, I think it’s your skin getting wet, absorbing some water in its surface layer, and getting bigger as a result. There are then certain points where it wrinkles up – like when you scrunch up a piece of cloth – and those are around your fingers and toes, where the skin fits over a strange shape (your hands and feet!). It doesn’t happen so much e.g. on your arms because your arms are quite smooth and there’s more space for the skin to expand evenly.

    • Photo: Robert Thompson

      Robert Thompson answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Seems like a good answer from Martin. You know its been a good bath when you come out all wrinkly. Modern life rushing about leads to far too many showers and far to little time to enjoy a good soak in the bath.

    • Photo: Marcus Gallagher-Jones

      Marcus Gallagher-Jones answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      I’ve got to say that I’m really not a fan of baths, maybe I’m just too busy. Anyway I can’t explain it any better than Martin already has. The only thing I’ll add is that the skin is made up of two separate layers, the epidermis (top layer) and the dermis (lower layer). Only the epidermis expands whilst you are in the bath and the wrinkles occur where it is tightly linked to the dermis. This is more prominent in your hands and feet because there are more of these connections closer together.

Comments