If our skin is waterproof, why do we still need to dry up after a bath?

Question

Why doesn't all the water flow off?

Answer 1

Things that aren't waterproof are soggy for a really long time. Let's say a pair of jeans, if you air dry theem it is gonna take a while, because they aren't waterproof.  So, we are water proof, us homosapiens!!

Answer 2

we dry ourselves so our clothes wont get wet and the water will flow off after about 12-14 min

Answer 3

Good point.  Forget drying off from now on.  Just put on your clothes with water all over you.

Answer 4

our skin is waterproof. water will still form in droplets on plastic right?

Answer 5

because it doesnt soak into our skin much.... and you can get pretty cold. its waterproof.... so the water would stay OUTSIDE of out bodies right???

Answer 6

well think about when you wash a car. It doesn't dry immediately, the water beads off the car over time. We can air dry but why wait that long. Also we have hair, and our skin is fairly rough microscopically and always dieing and rejuvenating so there is a rough surface which the water can cling upon.

Answer 7

It does if you wait for like 10 min.

And waterproof means that our skins doest get wet and soggy.  You know how clothes get wet, they feel all damp and cold?

I mean, we're not ducks .. So, stop acting smart.

Answer 8

It makes it easier to put your clothes on.

Answer 9

Your skins not really "waterproof" ...

Answer 10

Well to answer your first question, bacteria thrive in moist places, so it's a good idea to dry off after taking a shower/bath.

The water doesn't all flow off automatically because, although our skin is waterproof, it's not totally hydrophobic.

Hope I answered your question. C:

Answer 11

Waterproof means that our skin doesn't let water go into our body. And water does flow off, but not all. Like when you're in the shower, you see water flow down your body. Besides, our skin isn't totally waterproof. Which is why our skin wrinkles after being soaked in water for ages.

It's like a raincoat. It's waterproof but it still gets wet. And not all the water flows off.

Answer 12

It's just for a quick dry.  It'll eventually dry by itself, but usually we have the tendency to get quickly dressed, right?  Think of all the times you've been swimming and how you just sat around and dried off without even thinking about it.

Answer 13

Waterproof doesn't necesarily mean that water can't get on whatever it is you're talking about. Our skin is waterproof, therefore, it stays on the top of our skin without absorbing into it.

Answer 14

cuz the water is taking heat from our body making us cold

Answer 15

Skin is not completely waterproof, some water is absorbed by the cells depending on how much is needed.

But there is a difference between being waterproof and water-repellant. Shower curtains are generally water-proof too but the water also sits on them. Water very rarely rolls completely off any substance.

Answer 16

why do we still have to dry dishes?

it's all molecular.

Answer 17

Because it doesn't flow off immediately.  

Here's an experiment for you to try. Get an unopened bag of potato chips and drop the bag into a sink or tub full of water.

Really immerse the bag, plunge it under the water.  

What happens to the bag? It gets wet! Does it become dry the moment you remove it from the water? Nooo.

But open the bag and check on the chips. Voila! They're dry! Yeah! The bag is waterproof!

Waterproof means that water will not penetrate it and ruin the innards...  It has nothing to do with how fast the water disappears off of an object.

When you get out of the bath, your skin is wet, but YOUR innards are not bloated and soggy from the bathwater.

Answer 18

there's a reason why the water doesn't seep into our skin and become all soggy and gross. Waterproof jackets still have water on top, it just doesn't seep through to the inner layers. the water stays on our skin.

Answer 19

I have never dried off after a bath, so I don't know what in the world you are talking about!

Answer 20

who said our skin was waterproof, it absorbs small amounts water if you notice, escpecially dry skin. also the water likes to cling to us and since we arnt coated in oil like ducks we  have to wipe the water off, or air dry:)

Answer 21

Your skin is made up of two layers. The outer layer is called the epidermis and the lower level is the dermis. The outer layer (epidermis) produces an oily substance called sebum. You can see this substance when you touch a window or mirror and your "oily" fingerprint is left there. One job sebum does is it keeps water out of your skin—a job that it does very well. However, after long periods of time in a swimming pool, shower, or bathtub, much of the sebum is washed off and your outer layer of skin starts to absorb water. As it absorbs water it swells, but since the epidermis is "tied" down to your dermis in certain spots, it expands more where it is not "tied" down and this causes your skin to wrinkle. The difference between your skin and a raisin is that raisins wrinkle because they shrink, but your skin wrinkles because it is getting bigger.

But, don’t worry. Once you get out of the pool or tub, the water that your skin absorbed will evaporate, your skin will return to its usual size, and you body will produce more sebum. Your fingers and toes will be back to normal in no time. Isn’t your body amazing?

Answer 22

Water proof meaning it dosen't let anything through and dosen't get soggy and mushy...