Why does our skin becomes shrivelled when put into water for a long time?
451673
Some people think it's because the skin expands to allow extra water inside. The expanded skin ends up looking really wrinkly. Other people think that it's because the skin is tied down to the tissue underneath in certain places. So when the skin is full of water, it swells up (gets puffy), but only in places where it is not tied down, which makes it look wrinkly.
160509
Superhydrating....Skin has 3 layers. The bottom/lowest/innermost layer is attached to subcutaneous tissues and does not absorb water. The outermost layer absorbs water and when it "prunes" it swells causing the outermost layer to enlarge and wrinkle, while the innermost layer stays the same.
519231
Your skin has a limited capacity for keeping water out. \nAfter a long bath, your skin will absorb some water, and will tend to expand its surface. However, due to the lack of space for expansion, it gets wrinckled.
743702
I've thought about that question myself not so long ago so I did a little research. From what I found out there is an oil on our skin called sebum which is responsible for waterproofing our skin. When our bodies, specifically our phlangies (fingers and toes) are in water for too long the sebum is washed away and our skin starts to absorb the water. When our skin starts to absorb water the deep tissue in our palms and heels begins to swell but the tougher skin in that area withstands the swelling of the tissue and remains taunt but the skin of the fingers and toes which is not so firmly attached to the deep tissue wrinkles.
524766
i'm guessing, its dried soap.. or your skin is really dry..
360489
I do not know just how scientific you want this to be, so I will give you the reason to a collegiate level. The plasma membrane in your dermal cells (as in most somatic cells) is made up of a lipid bilayer. Water can travel through a protein channel called the aquaporin or it can go directly through the lipid bilayer in certain occasions (though large amounts cannot as the middle of the bilayer is made up of hydrophobic tails). When water is exposed to the skin, diffusion occurs since there is a greater concentration of water outside the dermal cells than inside, and this is called osmosis. Therefore, these cells take in large amounts of water (up until a point where the aquaporin is closed to prevent cytolysis, or the death of cells due to overexpansion). The interstitial tissue also absorbs water, and thus, the dermal area expands. Since the dermal area is larger than it really should be, it "folds" to a point, causing wrinkles. Hope that helped.
150690
Fingers wrinkle in bath water because there is a higher concentration of salt in the cells in your fingers, and the water follows the salt gradient (water will move towards a higher salt concentration)- osmosis.  The increased water in the cells causes them to swell making the finger wrinkly (think of a balloon filled with water surrounded by a tight net).  In salt water, the salt in the fingers and the salt in the water are closer to the same concentration, therefore water does not enter the cells of the fingers - no wrinkling.
793786
It is the ability for a liquid to pass through a seemily watertite skin
456970
The answer to your first question is - no, not entirely. The answer to your second question is - it does, that's why your skin gets "puckered" when you are in the bath for too long.\n\nThe skin has pours that open and close, when you are hot these pours open and you often sweat, this is also how you flush some toxins and bacteria from your system, which is why hot baths are good with mineral oils. It's also one of the dangers of showering in chlorinated water, as the chlorine can seep through the pours of your skin, and slowly poison you.
513715
I'm not sure but, it is where you have thicker skin due to calluses and that part of the skin absorbs more moisture and become gorged with water and stretches. Then your body starts to remove the extra moisture leaving the stretched skin to look wrinkled.
73420
It's because of the scab. It is just like dry skin. The old skin dries up and new grows underneath.
909892
Your hands and the bottoms of your feet are more "water permeable" than the rest of your body because they have more sweat glands in them but no oil glands.  So when you expose them to water, and even more so with hot water, for extended periods, the water will begin to go back in just as it is able to come out. When the skin soaks up enough water, which sometimes isn't very much, it begins to expand and prune.\nWeather along with humidity and also one's age has a lot to do with how quickly the skin becomes waterlogged.
528811
dudue take this seriuosly "you'er detoriating!"\nok just kidding,you shed dead cells evryday (yes cell are to small to see), here's the catch sometimes our skin just peels as an new layer takes it's place, so hurray you got new skin! ok that was too hype but it's normal, it could be that or an alergic reaction to detergent, dishwashing liquid or any thing, but if it doesn't hurt, itch or bleed then there's nothing to worry about
511982
they're creases from using our hands ... slowly close your hand and watch the lines. That's where your skin folds
172680
Water IS absorbed through the skin.  Evidence of this is when you get wrinkled skin after taking a long bath or after being in a swimming pool.\n\nThe problem is that water moves slowly into the skin.  In saltwater, the process of osmosis is essentially balanced, which in turn negates water absorbtion.
898062
You may have been chilly.\nOr, after being in the water where your limbs were floating & supported by the water, they may have temporarily grown acclimated to being held up. So, when you got out of the tub, they suddenly had to support your frame again, & they were trembling as they adjusted back to this.
710159
As the time goes by our cells decay and we loose them, some of them cells are never replaced and the process of aging starts to cave in, the skin begin to wrinkle and our organs start to slow down functions..☺