Brief Answer:
Normal usual phenomena due to thick callus of skin

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.

I can understand your concern for skin condition of hands of your daughter after soaking in water.

As a parent I can understand the level of stress for the skin condition.

I have analyzed all the pictures and after proper analysis let me first reassure you that your daughter’s condition is totally normal usual phenomena which we quite often see especially in children.

To tell you simply and medically: Our skin is a multilayered structure. The skin of hands and feet are totally different form that of the rest of the skin of body in the term that it is almost 20 times thicker than rest of normal skin.


To tell you more there is a non-waterproof layer of our skin which is known as callus. The callus is usually thickest on your hands and feet. This is the layer which is especially meant to give support to the skin of hands and feet. It especially gives support and resilience to the skin.

Whenever we are in water for long time then the water gets soaked into the callus and this gives a wrinkly appearance to the skin of palms and soles. Because water has soaked into the callus on your skin, and made it swell and wrinkle up.

So you must have understood that the condition in your daughter is quite normal natural phenomenon and gets better by itself in few hours. In my patients with such kind of problem I suggest to apply a water resistant moisturizer liberally before getting into water. It forms a barrier between the skin and water. Additionally I suggest keeping your daughter in water for shorter time periods.

Your daughter’s condition will be alright with age as with growth the skin gets better and better to take care of such condition.

With regards,

Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology

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