Ever noticed your fingers wrinkle underwater or after a long shower or swim? Here is the reason. It is an involuntary reaction by the body’s autonomic nervous system. This system also controls breathing, pulse rate, and perspiration. The wrinkling is the result of blood vessels constricting below the skin.
Interestingly, there is another theory that credits the washing away of a chemical called sebum present in the outermost layer of the skin, but it is not true.
In a recent study published by Daniel Nettle and his team in BiologyLetters, a group of people was made to pick up dry marbles with both, wrinkled up fingers and dry fingers. They found that it was more efficient to grip wet objects with wrinkled fingers.
Source
- Water-induced finger wrinkles improve handling of wet objects – Biology Letters
- Image – HuffingtonPost
