Have you ever wondered why a healing wound visibly starts to itch, making it impossible not to scratch?
Although it may be annoying, that itching is in fact a sign that your body is working to repair the damaged skin.
It’s the very moment when the skin is injured that the body launches a healing process to fix the damage. Cells emit histamine and other substances that help to repair the tissues by increasing blood supply to the part of the body that needs healing, and histamine also activates nerves that cause the person to be aware of a sensation of itch, which is the main reason of itching.
Meanwhile, the production of skin cells takes place. The newly generated nerve endings are sensitive and sometimes send mixed signals to the brain which is why we may feel itching.
Moreover, the tightening and drying of the skin around the wound can be enough to stimulate the nerve endings and cause more itchiness as the wound heals.
In fact, itching as one of healing symptoms is a manifestation of the body’s defense system as well. various chemical mediators are released during the immune response to prevent any infection and some of these are responsible for causing the itching sensation.
If itching is a sign of healing, why does scratching actually slow down the recovery process?
MBH/AB