Despite the saying “happiness is having a scratch for every itch,” itching often makes the itchy skin condition worse. So why is the instinct so strong? In a study with mice, researchers from the ...

Your parents were right: Scratching an itchy rash really does make it worse. Now we know why, thanks to new research that uncovers how scratching aggravates inflammation and swelling in a mouse model ...

What’s common between a scratchy sweater, a mosquito bite, and poison ivy? A brush with any of them guarantees an itchy spot on the skin. Scratching that itch is extremely tempting because of how ...

Scratching a mosquito bite can offer a moment of bliss, and now scientists know why: scratching activates an immune response that helps to protect the skin against harmful infections, at least in mice ...

Your parents were right: Scratching an itchy rash really does make it worse. Now we know why, thanks to new research published today in the journal Science that uncovers how scratching aggravates ...

Any doctor—or parent—will warn you that scratching an itch will only make it worse. But it turns out it has a surprise benefit. The act initially turbocharges the skin’s ability to fight off bacteria ...

Russell has a PhD in the history of medicine, violence, and colonialism. His research has explored topics including ethics, science governance, and medical involvement in violent contexts. Russell has ...

That itchy feeling isn’t just in your head, in some cases it might actually be all over you. And it may literally get on your nerves. New research published Wednesday in Cell indicates that a common ...

MINNEAPOLIS — As winter finally makes its presence felt, so does a symptom of the frigid air. Dry skin is forming and many of you might treat it in a painful, yet relieving way. Why does dry skin itch ...

I remember it well: our dark winter of itch when the kids were small. It started with a note sent home—years before the pandemic—that my child had been exposed, not to a deadly virus but to lice.

There are a number of ways to stop scratching, from medicines to mental tricks. By Elizabeth Passarella I’m one of the unfortunate souls who, for reasons still only loosely explained by science, seems ...