Here's Why A Paper Cut Hurts So Dang Bad

Ever wonder why a paper cut hurts as bad as it does?

Have you ever felt like a huge baby for the amount of curse words that come out of your mouth after one? Me, too.

I mean, of course they shouldn’t feel good, but why do they hurt much more than any other cut to the finger?

Here’s Why A Paper Cut Hurts So Dang Bad

Every time one of my kiddos shouts, “Owwwww!! Paper cut!!” I instantly cringe because I know just how bad those things feel.

I always refer to paper cuts as “The Worst.” And I mean it.

There are two important reasons why a paper cut hurts.

For starters, fingertips are just very sensitive. They have significantly more nerve fibers than most of the rest of your body.

If you were to get that same exact paper cut on say, your arm or leg, it would hurt much less.

When you get a paper cut, the paper slices through these nerve fibers, resulting in many pain signals being sent to your brain. Wonderopolis.org

You could get several other types of knicks and cuts to the fingers and they wouldn’t feel quite as bad as when paper cuts you.

Why?

This is because the edges of paper are very dull, so when it cuts you, it’s more of a rip than an actual tear.

Sounds pretty painful, right?

When you look at a paper cut through a microscope, there’s a lot more damage than if you were to be cut with a sharp knife.

Ouch.

So, there you have it. The next time you scream in pain after a paper cut you can defend yourself with actual facts on why they hurt so bad!