If, like me, you often tell your partner that you have a headache and are immediately met with, “have you drank enough water today?”, you’ll be glad to know that there is a way to check for dehydration without leaving your seat.

Now, you may prove them right but, crucially, you may prove them wrong and elicit even more sympathy than you were initially going for. 

Yes, according to NHS surgeon and TikTok medical influencer Dr Karan Rajan, there is a simple way to check if you’re dehydrated and it won’t take more than just a few seconds to do.

How to pinch your skin to check for dehydration

In a TikTok video, Dr Rajan stitches a video, in which another creator gently pulls the skin up from their knuckle and says, “if [the skin] goes back down, you’re hydrated. If you squeeze it and it stays up, you’re dehydrated.”

Dr Rajan explains: “This is known as a skin pinch or skin turgor test. The more hydrated you are, the more elastic your skin will be and will bounce back after you’ve pinched it.

“If you’re dehydrated, the skin loses elasticity and takes a while to return to normal and is more likely to ‘tent up’”.

‘Tent up’ is of course referring to the shape the skin takes when pulled up. 

How to make sure you are hydrated enough

Now that you know how to check for dehydration, it’s time to keep your hydration levels in check. 

NHS Inform advises: “You should drink plenty of fluids such as water, diluted squash and fruit juice to stay hydrated. The key is to drink regularly throughout the day (at least 6-8 mugs).

“If you’re active, or if the weather is particularly hot, there’s a greater risk that you will become dehydrated. To stay hydrated, you should increase your fluid intake.

“If you, your child or someone you are caring for is ill, particularly with a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, there’s a high risk of becoming dehydrated, so it’s important to start replacing fluid as soon as possible.”