When the water is hot in winter and cold during the summer, all your worries disappear like smoke. If you are in the swimming pool, it feels even better. With that said, is it fine if we stay in the water for too long? It will be good if nothing happens. But let’s find out about what happens if you stay in the water for too long.
Skin remains the first and foremost concern for all of us, and staying in water for too long puts us all in worry, and why not? People notice it first when they meet you.
You may have seen your skin getting wrinkles for a short time just after you have come out after taking a bath. Is it something you should be worried about, or is it normal? Let’s dive deep into it and see what actually happens to us if we stay in the water for too long.
The effects of staying in the water for too long
There’s nothing better than a soothing bubble bath to ease your stress. But taking too long of a bath has its pitfalls, and we’re not just talking about the wrinkly fingers because being continually submerged in water can eventually damage the body.
Before you are too scared and stop taking a bath, we suggest you read the article till the end and find out the real science behind it and how long it is too long for staying in the water.
Let’s begin with the wrinkles because that is the first thing you notice when you are in the water for some time. It is normal, and not only will you see it on fingers, but on toes as well. To understand why it happens, continue with us as we explore science.
Ever heard about sebum? Known as the main ingredient in what your body might think of as natural oil, this ingredient is found on the outermost layer of the skin. It is what makes the water slip off your skin and keeps it sheltered.
But, if you decide to stay in the water for too long, the sebum will be washed off, and the water can get inside the skin. So, the wrinkles you see on your fingers are actually the blisters, and it shows the water held between your outer and middle skin layer. You have better traction on wet surfaces because of it.
Can it be a concern that your skin is being stripped of sebum?? No, it will come back on its own, and you should not be worried about wrinkly fingers. It will get back to normal on its own in a few minutes.
While that is true, it does not also mean that you start spending more time in the water and do not feel worried about wrinkles because these vesicles will burst eventually, and that will expose your fresh skin to the outside world, increasing the likelihood of infection.
Not only the infection but sitting in water for too long can cause other health issues as well, for example, open sores or blood clots on the body.
The bottom line is that a prolonged stay in the water isn’t good for your skin, as well as your overall health.
Given that, what duration of time is safe to stay in the water that does not compromise the skin or your health? Let’s explore it below.
How long is it safe to stay in the water?
About five minutes after entering the water, the skin begins to wrinkle. But the matter here is to check whether the intensity of the wrinkles increases or not. Plus, how much time can you stay in the water without compromising the skin in any way? These are yet to be answered.
The more you stay in the water, the more intense the wrinkles will get, and you may start getting them all over your body. But, it will start getting serious after some time.
As a result of prolonged immersion in water, the skin typically loses plasticity due to reduced water retention capacity. After 12 hours, both natural moisturizing factors and lipids are washed-out, which can damage the skin over the long run.
Anyways, 12 hours is a long time, and I didn’t think anyone would want to spend that much time in the water. What do you think? Even if someone does that, they will come out of the water as soon as they notice their skin peeling off.
Confining in a place for such a long time will cause severe pain itself, and if it is underwater, the repercussions will be serious. It is advised not to try this at all; it is for your own safety.
Conclusion
Seems like you don’t have the option left to stay in the water for too long, and if you do, you will come out with infected skin. Continually staying in the water even after that will result in severe health concerns.
Nevertheless, you can stay in the water for a few hours, and the wrinkly fingers you get are normal, and they will get back on their own. However, the moment you begin to feel uneasy, you should leave the water.