Annie Lowrey

But it turns out that, no, it's probably a self-protective thing. If you see somebody scratching, there's some ancient part of your body that says, that person might have scabies. That person might, you know, have some other infestation. I'm going to start scratching to get this off of myself. Because scratching is in part a self-protective mechanism, right?

But it turns out that, no, it's probably a self-protective thing. If you see somebody scratching, there's some ancient part of your body that says, that person might have scabies. That person might, you know, have some other infestation. I'm going to start scratching to get this off of myself. Because scratching is in part a self-protective mechanism, right?

But it turns out that, no, it's probably a self-protective thing. If you see somebody scratching, there's some ancient part of your body that says, that person might have scabies. That person might, you know, have some other infestation. I'm going to start scratching to get this off of myself. Because scratching is in part a self-protective mechanism, right?

We want to get irritants off of the body, and that's in part why we scratch.

We want to get irritants off of the body, and that's in part why we scratch.

We want to get irritants off of the body, and that's in part why we scratch.

Yes. So histamine is an amazing chemical that does many, many, many things in our body. And it's part of our immune response. It leads to swelling so the body can come in to heal. And the scratching is meant to get, you know, whatever irritant was there off. And the itch-scratch cycle ends when the body heals.

Yes. So histamine is an amazing chemical that does many, many, many things in our body. And it's part of our immune response. It leads to swelling so the body can come in to heal. And the scratching is meant to get, you know, whatever irritant was there off. And the itch-scratch cycle ends when the body heals.

Yes. So histamine is an amazing chemical that does many, many, many things in our body. And it's part of our immune response. It leads to swelling so the body can come in to heal. And the scratching is meant to get, you know, whatever irritant was there off. And the itch-scratch cycle ends when the body heals.

So I think that that's all part of a natural and proper cycle that's part of our body being amazing at sensing what's around it and then healing it. But we have some itch that's caused by substances other than histamine. We've only started to understand that kind of itch recently. Similarly, we didn't really understand, science did not understand chronic itch very well until recently.

So I think that that's all part of a natural and proper cycle that's part of our body being amazing at sensing what's around it and then healing it. But we have some itch that's caused by substances other than histamine. We've only started to understand that kind of itch recently. Similarly, we didn't really understand, science did not understand chronic itch very well until recently.

So I think that that's all part of a natural and proper cycle that's part of our body being amazing at sensing what's around it and then healing it. But we have some itch that's caused by substances other than histamine. We've only started to understand that kind of itch recently. Similarly, we didn't really understand, science did not understand chronic itch very well until recently.

And we're in a period, I'd say in the last 20 years, of just tremendous scientific advancement in our understanding of itch.

And we're in a period, I'd say in the last 20 years, of just tremendous scientific advancement in our understanding of itch.

And we're in a period, I'd say in the last 20 years, of just tremendous scientific advancement in our understanding of itch.

I think the patients that he often sees, and he does a lot of things. He, you know, studies itch as a doctor who does medical research, and I believe that he also sees patients. I've talked to other dermatologists who've told me not to itch, who've, you know, tried to hand me cold packs and try to get my hands off of my body.

I think the patients that he often sees, and he does a lot of things. He, you know, studies itch as a doctor who does medical research, and I believe that he also sees patients. I've talked to other dermatologists who've told me not to itch, who've, you know, tried to hand me cold packs and try to get my hands off of my body.

I think the patients that he often sees, and he does a lot of things. He, you know, studies itch as a doctor who does medical research, and I believe that he also sees patients. I've talked to other dermatologists who've told me not to itch, who've, you know, tried to hand me cold packs and try to get my hands off of my body.

and explained the itch scratch cycle and sort of said, OK, we might not be able to treat your underlying itch, but at least we can break the itch scratch cycle and stop that kind of secondary itch that's coming on top of it. And when I talked to him, he sees people that are so miserable and they know they know that scratching is not going to help them. But at some point it's reflexive.

and explained the itch scratch cycle and sort of said, OK, we might not be able to treat your underlying itch, but at least we can break the itch scratch cycle and stop that kind of secondary itch that's coming on top of it. And when I talked to him, he sees people that are so miserable and they know they know that scratching is not going to help them. But at some point it's reflexive.