Science Your fingers wrinkle the same way every time they’re in water The quest to understand wrinkly fingers could have applications in forensics. Laura Baisas May 12, 2025 1:33 PM EDT ...

It wasn’t until 2003 that a study identified how the sympathetic nervous system made fingers wrinkle. Here, researchers looked at how blood flow to the hands changed after water immersion.

Many people think that fingers and toes wrinkle when wet because the skin swells when it absorbs water. But around 20 years ago, researchers discovered that the puckering comes from blood vessel ...