Why Fingers Shrink In Water: You must have noticed many times that by staying in water for a long time, the skin of the fingers and toes starts shrinking. This condition arises from spending too much time in the water. Although the fingers come back to their form as soon as they are removed from the water. Have you ever wondered why this happens? Why do fingers swell after being in the water for a long time? By the way, this is not a worrying problem. Everyone has to face this situation sometime or the other. But you need to know why this change happens in the body and what is the reason behind it.
This is a normal process. According to science, when we stay in water for a long time or do any work related to water, then the fingers start shrinking. This is because sebum is present on our skin, which is a kind of oily substance. Its deficiency or its excess, both are a matter of concern. Low sebum can cause many problems related to the skin. It can make the skin dry. While excess sebum can make the skin oily, which can cause the problem of pimples.
So because of this, the fingers shrink...
Sebum oil is present on our skin. This is the reason why when we pour water on the body while taking a bath, the water immediately flows away and does not stay. When we stay in water for a long time, the sebum starts exfoliating from the skin and water starts entering inside the body. For this reason, our fingers and toes shrink. This process of shrinking of the fingers is called 'osmosis'. In other words, it is also called 'aquatic wrinkles'.
How does shrinkage go away on its own?
When the person comes out of the water, the fingers come back to their original form after some time. This happens because the water present inside the skin starts drying slowly. Keratin is present in the hands and feet, which is a type of protein. This protein called keratin only works to dry the water inside the body. Since there is a lot of keratin in the hands and feet, both these parts of the body start shrinking quickly in water.
Disclaimer: Before following the methods, methods, and suggestions mentioned in this article, do take the advice of a doctor or a related expert.
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