With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support ...

Ever had an itch you can't scratch? Maybe it's out of reach, or your hands are full, or you don't want to damage your skin. It can be deeply frustrating. And even though the itch response, or what ...

It starts with a slight tingle. Then a prickle. Soon you’re frantically scratching, but when you look down at your skin, there’s… nothing there. No redness, no bumps, no rash—just normal-looking skin ...

If you've got itchy skin, it could be that a microbe making its home on your body has produced a little chemical that's directly acting on your skin's nerve cells and triggering the urge to scratch.