Subject: If H2O enters soaking fingers/toes, why isn't the skin swollen tight?

If water enters the fingers and toes when soaking, it seems like they should be 
swollen. When I think of being swollen, fingers/toes get bigger all around, and 
skin is tight, not wrinkly. Are only parts of my fingers and toes getting water 
in them?

I've referenced a previous submission below:

Re: why do i get wrinkles from staying in the bath?
Date: Thu Jun 22 12:42:35 2000
Posted By: John Carlson, Medical student, MD/PhD (parasitology) , Tulane 
University, School of Medicine
Area of science: Anatomy
ID: 961438279.An 
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Message:

Dear Tim, 

What makes your fingers wrinkle? 

Your fingers and toes wrinkle in the bath! The wrinkles are filled with water. 


Why does water soak into your fingers? 

Water likes to move into salty places. People are salty! Water moves into 
people because they are salty. 


Why do only fingers and toes wrinkle? 

Skin has a covering called keratin. Most skin covering is very thick. Finger-
tip skin covering is very thin. Toe-tip skin covering is thin too. It is easy 
for water to soak through skin that has a thin covering. 


Fingers wrinkle when water soaks into them! Water goes inside fingertips 
because they are salty and the skin covering there is thin. 

Thank you for your question! 


Sincerely yours, 

John Carlson
MAD Scientist 

Re: If H2O enters soaking fingers/toes, why isn't the skin swollen tight?