How come if your fingers are paralyzed or have nerve damage, they don’t prune, (wrinkle) and why do only our finger tips and toes prune?

Question

How come if your fingers are paralyzed or have nerve damage, they don’t prune, (wrinkle) and why do only our finger tips and toes prune?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Pruning of the fingertips is a mechanism that is regulated by the nervous system. If there’s paralysis or some form of nerve damage in the fingers, these nerve impulses are unable to initiate the physiological changes that result in the pruning of the skin in that area.

Pruning of the fingertips/toes are thought to help improve the grip of these appendages in wet conditions but there are studies that show no noticeable improvements between pruned and non-pruned fingertips in wet conditions and as such, the true reason for this phenomenon is largely still unknown.

Answer 2

Fingertips and toetips become wrinkly when wet for long periods of time so that we can get a grip and don’t slip on smooth surfaces.