Give yourself a hand.
A TikTok doc has revealed a simple way to check your hydration levels — and it’s totally legit.
In the video, a man pinches the skin on the back of his knuckles.
“Dehydration check!” he says. “Squeeze your fingertip right here and if it goes back down, you’re hydrated.”
He repeats the process, only this time, his skin doesn’t snap back into place — it stays pinched, meaning he’s dehydrated.
“This is known as the skin pinch or the skin turgor test,” Dr. Dana Brems, a foot surgeon with over 2 million TikTok followers, explains. “When you’re well hydrated your skin has greater elasticity and it quickly returns to its original shape after you pinch it. On the other hand, dehydration leads to decreased skin elasticity and a slower return to normal.”
The trick is science-backed, and can be an easy way to test your own hydration levels.
You can try it by pinching the skin on the back of your hand, your abdomen or over the front of your chest right below your collarbone, according to MedlinePlus. If your skin doesn’t quickly return to its normal position — drink some water!
On the other hand, if your skin is difficult to pinch, it could be a sign of edema, meaning your body is hanging on to lots of fluids and swelling up.
Even mild dehydration, when fluid loss equals 5% of your bodyweight, can make you feel a bit foggy. Other symptoms include having headaches or being extremely thirsty, dizzy or confused, according to Mayo Clinic.
And although you may have heard the “8×8” goal for drinking water — meaning you drink eight glasses of water that are eight ounces each — it’s not entirely accurate.
While not a bad goal, most people will need more water, experts advise. Women should drink 11.5 cups of water per day, while men should drink 15.5 cups of water per day, says Mayo Clinic. That number might be even higher if you’re regularly working out (and sweating) or if you live in a very hot climate.
