Why Are The Tips Of My Fingers Wrinkled Even Though They Have Not Been In Water?

Posted on Tue, 1 May 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 1 May 2018 Answered on

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 Last reviewed on

Question : The tips of my fingers are wrinkled but have not been in water. Why?

Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Information

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,

How long has it been going on, how severe is it, and do you have any ongoing health problems or take any medications?

Wrinkling of the tips of the fingers is from small blood vessels constricting. This can be from being in water, as you've noted, but it can be from other things that affect the nerves or fluid balance in the skin.

If it just happened and is occurring for a short time, it is usually not anything significant. It may be from temporary dehydration. But if they are very wrinkled and it is a persistent problem, then I recommend seeing your doctor to look for underlying causes. This can include vitamin B-12 deficiency, thyroid disease, sugar metabolism problems (diabetes), and autoimmune disorders (which would have symptoms in addition to wrinkly fingers).

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar