Why does my wound itch?

As a wound continues to heal, you may notice that the area itches. Itching on its own is not a problem, but don’t scratch the scab.

Itching is part of the normal course of healing. Once the rebuilding phase is under way and healing continues, you may notice that the area itches.

It happens alongside the other things a healing wound does — filling in with new tissue, new skin forming over it, and the edges pulling inward as the wound gets smaller.

Itching is simply one of the things that can happen during healing. This page won’t try to explain why it happens.

There is one instruction that goes with it: do not pick at or scratch the scab. The scab protects the tissue underneath from germs, which is the reason to leave it alone.

Itching on its own, then, is nothing unusual. Itching alongside other changes is a different matter, and the things to notice in that case are set out below.

One more thing, for anyone further along: after the scab falls off, the area may look stretched, red, and shiny, and a scar can keep fading for as long as two years.

What to watch for

Don’t pick at or scratch the scab. The scab protects the tissue underneath from germs.

The itching described here is itching during healing, on its own. If it comes with redness, increased pain, or a change in the fluid from the wound, those are findings to report to your provider.

In wound care generally, changes over time matter more than any single observation.

Wound Wizard is general education and can’t assess your wound or your situation. Your own clinician is the right person to ask about your wound.

What we look at

  • Examining the wound and the skin around it
  • Asking what else has changed, and when
  • Checking whether a dressing or product is irritating the skin
  • Judging whether healing is progressing as expected

Sources

  1. How wounds heal — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000741.htm
  2. Wound Q&A for patients and relatives — European Wound Management Association https://ewma.org/resources-for-patients-private-carers/wound-qa-for-patients-and-relatives/