Scientific Laboratory tests have a theory that wrinkly soggy fingers improve our human grip on wet or submerged objects.
The grooves in the wet skin work to channel away water in the same fashion that rain treads in vehicle tires moving underway. People often assume that wrinkling is the result of water passing into the outer layer of the skin and making it swell up.
This directs to the change being an involuntary reaction by the body’s autonomic nervous system, the system that also controls breathing, heart rate and perspiration according to the study.
This creepy and distinctive wrinkling is caused by blood vessels constricting below the skin the study says, but this has been recently disputed. So far there is no accurate description of why our bodies experience this.
I have always said ‘these are my cadaver hands’. They bounce back within an hour when away from moisture. This also happens during sweating from high humidity, so it is some definite physiological response, but I am not sure why.
Since I am on the water for hours upon hours wearing gloves, all saturated with water, my skin goes ‘soft’ pretty quick. I always assumed it was from being ‘waterlogged’. The soles of my feet also experience the same soggy foot syndrome lol. My lips will eventually fall prey further after during long distance events.
I do know from experience having broken down at sea and been in the water for hours waiting for rescue that my soft skin that was exposed was aggressively and persistently attacked by small bait fish as a food source. They would burrow until the first epidermis layer was flayed away.
There is something to nature not missing a beat for an opportunity to survive from another living organism.
I am still waiting for a true scientific confirmation on soggy hands and feet.
Meanwhile, cover up when training and keep the bugs and leeches away from any open skin areas. Wear good Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). You will feel better.