Why does skin pucker

But why do these patches of skin wrinkle? Some think that this is a biochemical reaction, an osmotic process in which water yanks a handful of compounds out of the skin, leaving an expanse of parched, pruney skin in their place.

Wrinkled fingers, then, are signs of an intact nervous system. Indeed, the wrinkling response has been suggested as a means of determining whether the sympathetic nervous system is functional in patients that are otherwise unresponsive. The wrinkle effect usually occurs after five minutes or so Credit: Getty Images. On all of this, the scientific community has consensus. But whether and how the wet-wrinkling response may have evolved, and if it even represents an adaptation in the first place, remains a contentious debate.

Consider tyre treads. In dry conditions, smooth tyres can best maintain their grip on the asphalt, which explains why race cars typically have smooth, featureless tires. But when driving in rain, treads are far safer. Wrinkled fingers, then, could be optimally designed for gripping in both wet and dry conditions.

This points to the change being an involuntary reaction by the body's autonomic nervous system — the system that also controls breathing, heart rate and perspiration. In fact, the distinctive wrinkling is caused by blood vessels constricting below the skin. In , Mark Changizi, an evolutionary neurobiologist at 2AI Labs in Boise, Idaho, and his colleagues, suggested that wrinkling, being an active process, must have an evolutionary function.

The team also showed that the pattern of wrinkling appeared to be optimized for providing a drainage network that improved grip. But until now, there was no proof that wrinkly fingers did in fact offer an advantage. In the latest study, participants picked up wet or dry objects including marbles of different sizes with normal hands or with fingers wrinkled after soaking in warm water for 30 minutes. The subjects were faster at picking up wet marbles with wrinkled fingers than with dry ones, but wrinkles made no difference for moving dry objects.

The results are published today in Biology Letters. Krutmann J, et al. The skin aging exposome. Journal of Dermatological Science. Topical tretinoin topical all-trans retinoic acid : Patient drug information. Goldberg DJ. Ablative laser resurfacing for skin rejuvenation. Riggin EA. Decision Support System. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, Chemical peels: FAQS. Gibson LE expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Edmonson KG, et al. Laser skin resurfacing: Cosmetic and medical applications. In: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology.

McGraw-Hill Education; Related Deep, coarse wrinkles Wrinkle creams Wrinkles. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Ann Biomed Eng. Water-induced finger wrinkles do not affect touch acuity or dexterity in handling wet objects. PLoS One. Published Jan 8. McCorry LK. Physiology of the autonomic nervous system.

Am J Pharm Educ. Water-induced finger wrinkles improve handling of wet objects. Biol Lett. Heat-induced finger vasoconstriction controlled by skin sympathetic nerve activity. J Appl Physiol Gechev A. Fluid Containing Structures in the tips of the fingers and toes delineated by Ultrasound Imaging before and after Induced Skin Wrinkling. Sci Rep. Published Feb 7. Getting a Grip on Finger Wrinkles. Science Friday. Changizi M, et al.