Why do wound itch on approach of final healing?The itch of a healing wound is caused by the growth of new cells underneath the old scab. New skin cells would be growing underneath there, and as they form a new layer of skin, then the scab becomes more tightly stretched over this zone of activity. This can make it feel itchy. The itch sensation for burn survivors may be a tingling feeling caused by nerves re-growing, or from dry skin caused by the lack of natural oil production since oil glands may have been damaged or destroyed by the burn. As the nerves grow and start to receive and send messages, they may create that itchy feeling. The skin in this area will be a lot less thick than everywhere else, so these new nerve cells will be under a lot more pressure.

Most people say that itching is a sign of healing. It is best to avoid itching of the wound. If it becomes too much of a problem, speak with the doctor or nurse. They may order medications by mouth or some topical cream to help make this more tolerable.

How do wounds heal?

There are different types of wound closures and different phases that each wound goes through, regardless of type, during the healing process. Wounds heal by either primary, secondary, or tertiary intervention.1,2

Primary: wound closes with minimal intervention Secondary: wound closes by contraction and reepithelialization Tertiary: also called delayed primary closure, wound closes

when there is initial debridement and suture or other method is used.

The phases of wound healing include inflammatory, proliferative, and maturation. The inflammatory phase includes the initial reaction to the injury in which a number of cells, including platelets, neutrophils, and macrophages, migrate to the site. Platelets, besides helping in clotting, act as a chemoattractant for neutrophils through a cascade effect. The neutrophils kill bacteria and aid in debridement, as do the macrophages. Macrophages are essential for wound healing because they secrete the growth factors imperative for healing.

The proliferative phase occurs when tissue reconstruction begins, including epithelialization, angiogenesis, and granulation.

The final phase is the maturation phase when wound contraction, or the inward movement of the wound’s edge, occurs. This can reduce both the amount of reepithelialization and the amount of scar tissue.

About wound healing

Wound healing is the process of repair that follows injury to the skin and other soft tissues.

Wounds may result from trauma or from a surgical incision. In addition, pressure ulcers (also known as decubitus ulcers or bed sores), a type of skin ulcer, might also be considered wounds. The capacity of a wound to heal depends in part on its depth, as well as on the overall health and nutritional status of the individual.

Following injury, an inflammatory response occurs and the cells below the dermis (the deepest skin layer) begin to increase collagen (connective tissue) production. Later, the epithelial tissue (the outer skin layer) is regenerated. Dietary modifications and nutritional and herbal supplements may improve the quality of wound healing by influencing these reparative processes or by limiting the damaging effects of inflammation.

So itching is mainly due to the new tissue growing beneath the injured parts.