Why scratching an itch feels satisfying, the science behind it, serotonin's role, and why relief can be temporary.

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to scratch an itch — in both the real and figurative sense. Although scratching an itch provides immediate (albeit temporary) relief, it may actually trigger ...

As skin ailments rise across the country, new diagnostic tools and treatments offer faster, more effective relief ...

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 ...

Researchers might have finally scratched below the surface of this medical mystery. Itchiness is a common symptom of various skin conditions, but why that is has long been unclear — until now. A new ...

Ever had an itch you can't scratch? Maybe it's out of reach, or your hands are full, or you don't want to damage your skin. It can be deeply frustrating. And even though the itch response, or what ...

Scientists have now shown why it may not be a good idea to scratch an itchy rash, even though it feels good. This research used a mouse model of a kind of eczema known as allergic contact dermatitis, ...

Scientists showed how a “miswiring” of nerve fibers toward touch-sensing skin cells could inform new anti-itching therapies in various skin conditions ...

A review of lichen simplex chronicus outlines topical corticosteroids as first-line therapy, with procedural options such as ...

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.