Hi Miek -
It is true that scratching cannot spread the urushiol oil once its bonded (and it bonds fast). What can happen though is that scratching can cause a release of histamines to the skin making the rash appear to spread. Here's a link on that science:
Scratch Science
There are other issues as well with scratching. First off - if there is any urushiol oil under the finger nails you can recontaminate yourself. This is pretty common as under the nails is a commonly overlooked area to clean. The other issue is that you can cause an infection by scratching the rash (bacterial from under the nails to open skin).
BUT scratching does feel good. I certainly acknowledge that and if you just feel like you have to - at least make sure the fingernails are clean. |
