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 ...

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 ...

If you love to scratch an itchy rash, good news! A new study reveals scratching a rash has upsides -- along with the downsides your mom warned you about. Nail’d it! Scratching an itchy rash can feel ...

When normal mice were allowed to scratch, their ears became swollen and filled with inflammatory immune cells called neutrophils. In contrast, inflammation and swelling were much milder in normal mice ...

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 ...

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 ...

Scabies is a skin problem caused by tiny bugs called mites. These mites are so small that you can’t see them without a ...

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.