5 ms·
Why paper cuts hurts so much
- tonyle 10y agoKey takeaways. 1. Fingers are sensitive. 2. paper has a saw like edge. 3. paper cuts tears up skin so nerves are exposed to the world. Not really a lot of substance to this article. Speaking of saw like edge.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYfkhdKcEiE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYfkhdKcEiE
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- vacri 10y agoYou're misrepresenting your point 3. The article talks about the kind of cuts that paper tends to make, and how it exposes nerves to the world differently than deeper cuts.
- camtarn 10y agoThat video is awesome :D
- somedangedname 10y agoWould be a great intro to a safety talk in shop class.
- agumonkey 10y ago"paper cuting wood is wood cuting wood"
- jfoutz 10y ago4. No blood to make a scab, so pain receptors keep transmitting the pain signal.
- amelius 10y agoThis makes me wonder, does it help to make the cut a bit deeper then?
- altern8 10y agoThanks. I also noticed that there is no mention of chemicals. You'd think that to make paper while (and perhaps other reasons) they'd use a lot of chemicals, which might be one of the reasons for the pain.
- etendue 10y agoThis feels like an opportune moment to share the cortical homunculus, "a neurological 'map' of the anatomical divisions of the body": https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_homunculus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_homunculus
- woliveirajr 10y agoNever heard of it, interesting to see which areas are nearer some others.
- stronsay 10y agoEver wondered about the popularity of foot fetish? Why would you associate such a relatively dirty body part with sexual arousal, right? Guess what, the feet and toes are on the same gyrus as the genitals.
- flashman 10y agoSome enlarged pictures of paper edges: http://nanofabrication.tumblr.com/post/134064732751/a-sheet-of-notebook-paper-cut-with-a-knife-torn http://nanofabrication.tumblr.com/post/134064732751/a-sheet-... These don't look particularly serrated, but perhaps you need yet higher magnification. I would think that the stiffness plus thinness of the paper is enough for it to act like a knife, without needing serrations.
- nerdponx 10y agoThose all look pretty brutal to me, like a tiny piece of MDF.
- woliveirajr 10y agoPaper can blunt scissors due to mineral elements that are used [1]. I never searched for these paper magnifications pictures, but I expected to see small sand particles, or something like that. The fibers dominate, and already seem very dense, specially the folded paper picture. [1] http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/9830/does-paper-blunt-scissors http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/9830/does-paper-...
- 4ndr3vv 10y agoThink you mean OSB, MDF is made of dust and resin
- nerdponx 10y agoYep good catch, thanks
- ourmandave 10y agoI didn't read the article. But it inspired me to look up the name of that band-aid proof flap of skin between your thumb and forefinger. https://www.reference.com/science/name-area-between-thumb-index-finger-a9d0191aa9d60cbf https://www.reference.com/science/name-area-between-thumb-in... Spoiler Alert: Thenar space.
- vacri 10y agoTwo-point discrimination is an interesting thing to play with. In practical classes at uni, we did two-point discrimination using a compass (the drawing kind, not the navigational kind...). Spaces outside your sensitive areas would have the two points perceived as one quite early - in some areas of the back, the two points could be 10cm or so apart. Conversely, on the lips or fingertips, we couldn't get the points of the compass close enough to have them felt as one point.
- Stratoscope 10y agoThe article mentions ointment and bandages, which are of marginal value for a paper cut. By far the most effective treatment for paper cuts and other small injuries such as torn hangnails is a liquid bandage like New-Skin: http://www.newskinproducts.com/liquid-bandages/liquid-bandage/ http://www.newskinproducts.com/liquid-bandages/liquid-bandag... Don't use any ointment; that will interfere with the bandage sticking to the cut. The liquid bandage itself prevents infection because it seals the wound completely and has a mild antiseptic in it. Just wash the cut with water, followed by some hydrogen peroxide if you have it. Never use rubbing alcohol on a cut unless you enjoy extreme pain! Let the cut air dry, then apply a thin layer of the liquid bandage. It may sting a bit at first, but that only lasts a moment. Wait for it to dry and add a second layer for more protection, and even a third layer if you want some cushioning. The thin layers will dry faster than one thick layer. If you really need some extra cushioning you can put a band-aid on top of the liquid bandage after it dries. If the cut is bleeding, you'll need to stop the bleeding first, otherwise it will seep through the liquid bandage as it dries. You can use pressure or a band-aid while the bleeding stops. Afterward, still don't use any ointment, just wash and dry and apply the liquid bandage. The edges of the dried bandage will tend to peel after a day or so, especially if if it gets wet for a while. You can just add another layer on top, especially around the edges, or depending on the cut it may be better to peel off the old bandage completely and start with a new layer. I've used this stuff for years and can't recommend it enough. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle or two - I keep one at home, one in the car, and one in my backpack. (It should go without saying that I have no connection with this company. But if you'll forgive a pun, they have saved my skin!)
- nahumfarchi 10y agoComing up next: why stepping on a piece of Lego hurts so much.