Why paper cuts hurts so much | Hacker News Reader

Why paper cuts hurts so much

bbc.com

99 pointswoliveirajr27 comments

Open articleView on HN

Key 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

4. No blood to make a scab, so pain receptors keep transmitting the pain signal.

This makes me wonder, does it help to make the cut a bit deeper then?

You'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.

That video is awesome :D

Would be a great intro to a safety talk in shop class.

"paper cuting wood is wood cuting wood"

The 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-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!)

You should avoid both hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol...

"Using hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to clean an injury can actually harm the tissue and delay healing. The best way to clean a minor wound is with cool running water and mild soap. Rinse the wound for at least five minutes to remove dirt, debris, and bacteria." - WebMD ... But I've seen this in quite a few places.

Thanks for the correction! I missed the edit window for my comment, or I would have noted it there.

My personal experience after using it probably thousands of times is that a quick peroxide rinse seems to do some good, and has never done any apparent harm when followed up with a liquid bandage - at least on the kind of very minor cut we're talking about here. All the cuts I've treated this way have healed quickly and cleanly.

But I'll certainly defer to the experts before advising others on this. And rubbing alcohol is of course very bad news!

Superglue also works pretty well, if nothing else is available.

Liquid bandage is better for paper cuts. But superglue is better for deep cracks in calloused skin, and for broken nails.

Some enlarged pictures of paper edges: 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.

Those all look pretty brutal to me, like a tiny piece of MDF.

Paper 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-...

Think you mean OSB, MDF is made of dust and resin

Yep good catch, thanks

This 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

Never heard of it, interesting to see which areas are nearer some others.

Ever 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.

Two-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.

I 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-in...

Spoiler Alert: Thenar space.

I call it swimskin, because it is the evolved remains of amphibious fin like hands.

I thought it was a frenulum.

Coming up next: why stepping on a piece of Lego hurts so much.

Or, for that matter, a d4.

Turns out that pressure = force / area means that things are really painful when area is tiny.

Or an DC adapter sticking upwards!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com