What they always told you about scratching during the peak of the skin could be wrong: this is what science says

It has always been said that you have to endure. He itching on the skin, An unbearable annoyance, tests anyone. But sometimes, resisting is almost impossible. The hand goes alone, the scrape nail and, for a moment, the relief is absolute. No matter what they have repeated a thousand times about the consequences, because in that second of Ephemeral pleasureeverything else stops importing.

But what seems like a simple impulse has a more complex story behind. Researchers of the Pittsburgh Universityled by the Doctor Daniel Kaplanthey set out to understand what really happens when someone scratches.

Inflammation, bacteria and neurons: science behind scratch

Using Mice with induced allergic dermatitisthey verified something obvious: those who were Scratched had more inflamed skin that those who could not do it. Their swollen ears were full of neutrophils, a type of white blood cells that fights infections, while mice that abstained scratch showed less inflammation and faster recovery.

At the cellular level, the process is even more intriguing. When the skin is scratched, the neurons responsible for pain, which release a chemical known as substance p. This, in turn, stimulates mast cellsimmune cells responsible for releasing a waterfall of chemical compounds, including the histaminefamous for causing swelling and redness.

Kaplan explained that, in the Contact dermatitismast cells are activated directly by allergens, which generates a Mild and itching inflammation. In addition, he pointed out that scratch releases substance pwhich stimulates mast cells through a Second route. This causes one synergistic activation Of these cells, which explains why scratch intensifies inflammation in the skin.

The negative side of scratch continues to weigh more

What nobody expected is that this same mechanism also had a bright side. Although scratch worsens inflammation and delay healing, the experiments showed that also reduce the amount of Staphylococcus aureus in the skina bacterium responsible for skin infections, food poisoning, pneumonia and even bone infections.

Kaplan and his team identified that the act of scratching, by activating mast cells, also helps fight bacteria and other pathogens, suggesting that, in certain contexts, it could have a defensive benefit.

Of course, the balance does not lean completely in favor of scratching. Although it can eliminate dangerous bacteria, The damage caused to the skin is still considerably greaterespecially when itching is persistent.

The study, published in the magazine Scienceopen new possibilities to treat inflammatory conditions of the skin such as dermatitis, rosacea or urticaria. Kaplan is already working on it, looking for ways to take advantage of this knowledge to develop more effective therapies.

In short, the need to scratch is more than a simple whim of the body. There are background biological reasons, some good and others not so much. But if something has been clear, is that momentary pleasure when rubbing the skin comes with a price.

The next time the itching attack, the decision remains the same: resist or give in, knowing that relief is fleeting, but the consequences, as many as bad as they can stay a little more about the account.