Are you drinking enough water? Simple finger test reveals if you’re dehydrated

Worried that you’re not drinking enough water in the summer heat? A simple finger test can help you determine if you’re dehydrated.

Simply pinch the skin of your abdomen, the front of your hand, or the skin of your chest just below your collarbone with two fingers for a few seconds. Hold the skin in place as you pinch.

Pinch your skin for a few seconds and release. If the skin immediately returns to its normal position, this means that you have normal turgor and are sufficiently hydrated.

If the skin remains raised for a few seconds, it is called ‘tenting’.

Dr. Dana Brems, a podiatrist in Los Angeles, posted a video on TikTok in April showing how you can predict whether you need to drink more water by pinching the skin on your finger. The method, called the Skin Turgor Test, measures the elasticity of the skin

The Mayo Clinic recommends that men drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water per day and women drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters)

The method has been the subject of several viral TikToks, with doctors also behind the trick.

Los Angeles podiatrist Dr. Dana Brems responded to a TikTok video in April showing how the test was performed.

In the original 2021 video, content creator Remus Bujor demonstrates the “dehydration check” by grabbing the skin just above his knuckle.

“Pinch your fingertip here, and if it goes back down, you’re hydrated,” Bujor said in the video. However, he noted that if the skin stays up, “you’re dehydrated.”

In her videowhich has been viewed more than 4.5 million times, Dr. Brems explains that this is called a skin turgor test, which measures the elasticity of the skin.

This is how quickly something can return to normal after being stretched or compressed.

“When you are well hydrated, your skin is more elastic and quickly returns to its original shape when you squeeze it,” says Dr. Brems.

‘On the other hand, dehydration leads to reduced skin elasticity and a slower return to normal levels.’

Staying hydrated helps the skin retain collagen, a protein that gives structure and strength to the skin, muscles and bones.

This collagen ensures that the skin remains elastic.

However, skin elasticity can decrease as you age, regardless of how much water you drink.

According to the Mayo Clinic, other signs of dehydration include extreme thirst, decreased urination, dark urine, fatigue, dizziness and confusion.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that men drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water per day and women drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters).