This Is Why Paper Cuts Hurt So Darn Much Much
[Photo: Pexels]
Is there any pain in the world worse than a paper cut?
Okay, there probably is, but considering how tiny a paper cut usually is, they cause a hell of a lot of pain.
And there is a scientific reason behind this. Dermatologist Dr Hayley Goldbach told Cosmopolitan that it has a lot to do with where these wounds are usually located, e.g. our fingertips.
Luckily for us, our fingertips are officially the Worst Place Ever to be cut when it comes to how much pain we experience.
Goldbach explains: “It would probably also hurt a lot if you got a paper cut on your face or in your genitals, if you can imagine that.”
(We started imagining it, then stopped, rapidly.)
“Fingertips are how we explore the world, how we do small delicate tasks. So it makes sense that we have a lot of nerve endings there. It’s kind of a safety mechanism.”
As well as this, these teeny weeny cuts aren’t as teeny weeny as they look to us - and they aren’t as clean, either.
Ferris Jabr of Scientific American said last year: “A paper cut is not as clean as it looks. The edge of paper looks smooth, but it is actually jagged.
[Photo: Pexels]
“The piece of paper cuts through skin more like a small saw than a knife.” (Ouch.)
“Paper leaves behind chemical particles, irritating the wound. Because the wounds are shallow, they don’t bleed or clot very much. Damaged tissues and neurons remain exposed.
“Every time we use our hands, the wound flexes open, disturbing these neurons.”
So next time you have a paper cut, as if that isn’t bad enough, just picture your wound ‘flexing open’ and ‘disturbing neurons’. Mmmm.
Why do you think paper cuts hurt so bad? Tweet us at @YahooStyleUK.
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