Q: Can you explain why paper cuts are so painful? —T.W., Huntsville, Ala .

A: There are several reasons: First of all, if you examine a ripped piece of paper or cardboard you’ll notice that it’s made from many jagged fibers that are held together as paper. That creates a cut in the skin that’s rough, unlike the clean and precise cut of a razor blade. Second, there are lots of delicate sensory nerve endings on the fingertips (and face), unlike other areas with far fewer nerve endings like the skin on your back. That means that any break in the skin, especially from the rough cut of a piece of paper, is going to hurt way out of proportion to the injury sustained. Third, there are chemicals used in the process of making paper that make contact with the exposed skin of a cut and cause a chemical irritation. The good news for my readers is that newspaper is the least likely form of paper to cause a paper cut, and the immense benefit gained from reading a newspaper outweighs the small risk of a paper cut.

Paper cuts are best treated with the application of an antibacterial ointment, preferably one that also has a pain relieving ingredient (e.g. – Neosporin Plus Pain Relief ointment). Liquid bandage is another treatment option after cleaning a paper cut.