How can paper cut human skin

Unless you take care to cover it up with a bandage and perhaps some antibiotic ointment, the nerves that the paper revealed when it tore apart your skin continue to be exposed to the outside world, and that only makes them angrier. Without the cushion of blood, pain receptors are left exposed to the elements, and unless you quickly bandage your paper cut, those neurons will keep on sending the alarm bell, warning your brain of impending disaster. That, after all, is their job. The intense pain of paper cuts could be blamed on the sensitivity our hands and fingers Credit: iStock.

Unfortunately, each of us is going to face the prospect of enduring a few paper cuts as we go about our lives. Luckily, the common saying is probably wrong.

If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Body Matters Biology. Why paper cuts hurt so much. Share using Email. By Jason G Goldman 5th September While not overly serious in the grand scheme of things, they sure provide a lot of pain for such a minor injury. So why do paper cuts hurt so much, even if they don't pierce the skin? Turns out, it's your nerve endings that are mainly to blame: we've got more pain receptors in the tips of our fingers than almost anywhere else in the body, which you might have already realised if you've ever tried to pick up something very hot.

Goldman at the BBC. It's kind of a safety mechanism. These nerve endings are called nociceptors , and they warn the brain — through the sensation of pain — about high temperatures, dangerous chemicals, and pressure that could break the skin. Some blame also lies with the paper, though — paper edges are not as smooth as they might appear from a distance, and can leave a rough trail of destruction on the skin, rather than a good, clean nick.

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