The vicious cycle of itching and scratching. How can you trick your own nervous system? This sensation can wake you up in the middle of the night and take complete control of your thoughts. Itching in atopic dermatitis (AD) and eczema is often described as a form of “physical pain” due to its persistence and intensity. Unfortunately, giving in to it sets off a destructive process known in dermatology as the “vicious cycle of itching and scratching.”

The Psychology and Neurology of the Process

When you feel an itch, an alarm goes off in your brain. Running your fingernails over the itchy spot provides a brief sense of “relief” because the pain signal caused by scratching temporarily drowns out the itch signal. What’s more, in response to this action, the brain releases endorphins (happiness hormones), which is why scratching feels so good at first.

That’s where the good news ends, though. When scratching the skin:

• You physically damage the weakened skin barrier, creating “micro” wounds through which bacteria and allergens can penetrate.
• Your immune system responds to this damage with a sudden inflammatory reaction. It releases a cascade of “inflammatory mediators” (including powerful doses of histamine).
• Increased inflammation amplifies the signal in the sensory nerves. After a few minutes, the skin itches more intensely than it did before scratching.

How can you trick the nervous system?

To break the vicious cycle, you need to stimulate the nervous system without damaging the skin. One of the most effective methods is cooling. Cold is transmitted through the same nerve fibers as itching—when you apply something cool to your skin, the cold signal “takes over” the itching signal, suppressing the urge to scratch.

Another method is to gently tap or press on the itchy area (known as compression), which provides the nervous system with a different sensory stimulus.

Relief from Itching Right in Your Bathroom

At MCS Laboratory, we fully understand the mechanics of this vicious cycle. That is precisely why the centerpiece of our line for atopic dermatitis and eczema is the Night Cream for Sensitive Skin with Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis, which acts as a “fire extinguisher” for the nervous system. It contains ingredients that soothe and calm the inflammatory cascade (such as oatmeal, which we’ve described many times, etc.).

Tip: If you’re struggling with severe itching, store your MCS Laboratory Night Cream for Sensitive Skin in the refrigerator. Applying a thick, pleasantly cool, and deeply regenerating layer of cream to the itchy area immediately lowers tissue temperature, blocks the itch signal in the nervous system, and restores the damaged skin barrier, breaking the vicious cycle of scratching.