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Recent studies suggest that blood vessels are the culprit behind the wrinkling of fingers and toes after being submerged in water for a while.
Skin is an amazing and mysterious organ. As the largest organ of the body, it's tasked with shielding you from the Sun's rays, chemicals, bacteria... And it accomplishes all of this while maintaining the body's internal water balance and providing a sense of touch.
Guy German, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Binghamton University, State University of New York, along with his team, is delving deeper into understanding the mechanisms and functions of soft biological tissues.
We know that skin wrinkles as you age or when you pinch it. However, there's still a mystery surrounding why skin wrinkles and sometimes even changes color after a long bath or extended time in the pool.
People often assume that these wrinkles form because the skin absorbs water, causing it to swell and lose elasticity.
However, researchers in the 1930s found that individuals with damaged nerve endings in their fingers do not develop wrinkles on their skin after bathing.
You might be surprised, but according to a study by an organization in Idaho, USA, it was revealed that: The reason for wrinkling of the skin upon contact with water is controlled by nerve endings. The study also found that patients with damaged nerve endings in their fingers do not experience wrinkling when in contact with water. From this, the main conclusion is that the nervous system controls this phenomenon. Photo: ZMETo explain what's happening, you first need to understand a bit about the autonomic nervous system. Functions like breathing, blinking, heart rate, or pupil dilation occur without conscious control thanks to the autonomic nervous system.
It also automatically regulates the dilation and constriction of your blood vessels. Typically, temperature, medication, or what you eat or drink can cause blood vessels to dilate or constrict.
The constriction of blood vessels is also the cause of wrinkling of the skin after prolonged swimming.
When your hands and feet come into contact with water for a few minutes, the sweat ducts on the skin open up, allowing water to flow into the skin tissue. This additional water reduces the salt content inside the skin. Nerve fibers send messages about the lower salt level to your brain, and the autonomic nervous system reacts by constricting the blood vessels.
The narrowing of blood vessels causes the overall volume of the skin to decrease, resulting in these distinct wrinkles. It's like a plump grape turning into a raisin, and its appearance becomes wrinkled - losing volume more than surface area.
This constriction of blood vessels also makes the skin appear paler - this is contrary to what happens when your skin reddens while bathing in very hot water, due to dilated blood vessels. The change in color will become more pronounced in individuals with lighter skin tones.
However, for those with damaged nerves, this constriction does not occur. Blood vessels never shrink, so wrinkles never occur even after prolonged immersion in a bathtub.
Researchers have found that wrinkled skin has a better ability to grip underwater compared to unwrinkled skin. Better grip allows for a firmer grasp of objects. It makes traversing underwater surfaces easier and less prone to slipping. Scientists also note that individuals with wrinkled fingers transmit objects 12% faster than those with normal fingers in wet conditions.In the future, Guy German's research team will conduct studies to examine changes in the structure and function of the skin when immersed in water for extended periods, rather than focusing on wrinkles. They are interested in skin analysis that could support forensic investigators after a crime or disaster. Scientists also want to learn more about immersion foot syndrome - skin damage from prolonged exposure to moist environments. They tend to affect military personnel or farmers working in flooded fields, such as rice paddies.
The research group of Guy German has been conducting studies to investigate the changes in the structure and function of the skin when immersed in water for long periods, rather than researching wrinkles. They are interested in skin analysis that could assist forensic investigators following a crime or disaster. Scientists also aim to gain further understanding of immersion foot syndrome - skin damage resulting from prolonged work in wet environments. These syndromes tend to affect military personnel or farmers working in flooded fields, such as rice paddies.
Soaking in water for too long can make your skin more prone to breakage, but this weakening effect may take a few weeks to show up.
