Every cut hurts, but there is one kind of cut that feels much more painful than the actual injury suggests. It seems to sting more intensely, although it may be small.

We’re talking about the simple but surprisingly painful paper cut.

Why do paper cuts hurt so much? Is it because of their shape? Or the fact that they are so shallow (not very deep)? Or maybe it’s the sting of embarrassment at being hurt by something as harmless as paper?

One of the reasons paper cuts hurt so badly is that they often happen on very sensitive areas like our fingers or, for anyone still sealing letters, even our tongue.

The nerve networks in these parts of the body are highly sensitive and can detect sensations such as pressure, heat, cold and injury with remarkable accuracy.

According to IFLSCIENCE, “Our brains have specific areas designed to receive very detailed signals from these sensitive parts,” explains Gabriel Neal, clinical associate professor of family medicine at Texas A&M University, in an article for The Conversation.

The same sensitivity that makes our fingers, lips and tongue work so well also makes any injury to them hurt that much more.

Other sensitive areas like your face would also feel intense pain, which is one reason why you wouldn’t use your genitals to open Amazon packages.

Another reason is the shape of the paper itself.

To the naked eye, the edge of a piece of paper may appear smooth and straight. But if you take a closer look, it looks more like a jagged saw blade (an uneven, rough edge) than a sharp knife, causing a rough tear rather than a clean cut.

Neal explains that the paper cuts are deep enough to reach the nerve fibers in the skin without actually damaging them. This means that the nerves remain active and can fully feel the pain, unlike deeper cuts where the nerves can be damaged and cannot send pain signals as clearly.

With a paper cut, the nerve fibers are triggered and work at full power, which is why you feel the pain so strongly

Paper cuts usually happen on parts of the body that we use a lot, such as our hands and mouth. Because of this, cuts can easily reopen throughout the day when we move or use these areas. Also, because paper cuts are very shallow, they don’t form a crust (a protective layer that helps heal), which makes it harder for them to heal quickly. This keeps the wound open, leaving you with an annoyingly painful wound caused by just a thin piece of paper.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are those of the author and do not reflect those of DNA)