Think You're Dehydrated? This Skin Test Will Tell You in Seconds

While you may have heard you should be drinking eight glasses of water per day, proper hydration looks different for everyone. Health experts will tell you there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all recommended water intake. Instead, you need to monitor your body for clues that it may be time to visit the water cooler.

Business Insider recently shared a simple trick that can tell you if you're dehydrated within seconds. To test it out, pinch the skin on the back of your hands for a few moments then release it. The skin should hopefully return to its old shape immediately—if not, that could be a sign that you're moderately to severely dehydrated, according to MedlinePlus.

The pinch test is a way to measure the skin's elasticity, or skin turgor. Healthy, hydrated skin will snap back to normal right away after being pinched and pulled, while skin suffering fluid loss takes longer to settle.

Even if you pass the skin turgor test, your body still may benefit from a drink: Mild dehydration doesn't really affect skin elasticity. Symptoms of mild dehydration include headaches, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. So if you're feeling less than your best, try downing a glass of water before you do anything else and see how it makes you feel. Checking the color of your urine is another way to keep tabs on your body's hydration level.