What is the supposed reason people get wrinkly toes and feet in the bath?

Mastigo

The skin's outermost layer, the epidermis, is responsible for this wrinkly reaction, which usually occurs after you've spent about half an hour in the water. The epidermis contains the protein keratin, which strengthens your skin and helps keep it moist. Dead keratin cells make up the epidermis' own surface layer known as the stratum corneum, which is Latin for "horned layer" [source: Meyer]. These dead keratin cells in the stratum corneum absorb water easily and start to swell after extended periods in the water, but the living keratin cells deeper in the skin do not. As the dead cell layer expands, it begins to take up more surface area, but it's still connected to the living cells beneath and doesn't have anywhere to go. As a result, the stratum corneum wrinkles to give the temporary new surface area someplace to go [source: Library of Congress]. Researchers are studying other theories for what might help cause the wrinkling, such as the whether the constriction of blood vessels is related to it. But if most of your body is submerged in the water, why do these wrinkles occur only on the hands and feet and not on other areas? Because they get so much use, the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet have thicker skin -- and therefore a thicker layer of keratin -- than the rest of your body [source: Meyer]. This makes them especially susceptible to wrinkling in water. http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/information/anatomy/skin-wrinkly-in-water.htm Jan 13 13, 4:06 AM

bigponder

There's a new theory that the wrinkled skin on your fingers and toes helps you get a better grip on slippery surfaces: http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/01/wrinkles-help-fingers-get-a-grip.html Jan 13 13, 11:32 AM