There are many changes in your body you tend to start noticing as you age — strands of gray hair popping up here and there, the “creaking” noises your knees begin to make and of course, wrinkles. You know that sitting in a bathtub or swimming in a pool for a long period of time can turn your fingers and toes into “prunes,” but have you ever wondered why this happens? When it comes to your hands, it turns out that like many other parts of your body, they often have something to say. While wrinkles may naturally occur as you age, there could be other possible explanations for wrinkled fingertips.
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- Water immersion
The underside of your hands are covered with glabrous skin, meaning hairless. When water seeps into this type of skin, electrical charges are sent to your nerve endings. The nerves tell your blood vessels it’s time to constrict, causing your fingers and toes to turn into “prunes.”
- Dehydration
Water keeps your body hydrated — including your skin. It’s essential for maintaining elasticity. That’s why dehydration can cause wrinkles to appear across your fingers, hands and other parts of your body.
- Vitamin deficiency
Your body requires essential vitamins and minerals to function properly. A deficiency can manifest in many different ways, including wrinkles. Vitamin C for example, plays an important role in the production of collagen in your skin. Other vitamins help protect your skin from damage caused by ultraviolet rays. Excessive winkles could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency.
- Liver problems
Liver issues can interrupt the skin cells from regenerating, repairing and eliminating toxins from the body. Over time, this can cause toxins to build up, cause inflammation and damage skin cells, which can lead to wrinkled skin.
- Thyroid issues
Thyroid hormones are responsible for metabolism regulation, in addition to many other functions in the body. When the thyroid is off balance, skin conditions can result, including dermatitis and wrinkled skin.
Tips to help get rid of wrinkles
- Hydrate — Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and help your body function at its optimal level.
- Clean up your diet — Processed foods, sugar and alcohol can hinder collagen production and fast track wrinkles. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats to help stave off wrinkles.
- Try bone broth — Bone broth is a superfood to help boost collagen production, on top of numerous other health benefits.
- Add ginseng to your diet — Along with its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, ginseng has been found to increase collagen in the bloodstream and provide anti-aging benefits.
- Get plenty of vitamin C — Vitamin C helps protect the skin and boost collagen production. Add bell peppers, broccoli, oranges, grapefruit, lemons and other vitamin C rich foods to your diet.