# Burning sensation on the skin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848 "2009-06-05T17:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/1 "2009-06-05T17:15:40Z")
Such as from handling hot peppers or Bengay, Icy Hot types of creams. What exactly is that sensation? What is stimulating what type of nerve endings? Ditto for the cooling sensation of mentholated stuff and muscle pain creams. Bonus question: why do hot peppers burn my mouth for only 5 minutes but my skin for hours? ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/2 "2009-06-05T20:38:08Z")
On your bonus question, I think a lot of the answer has to do with saliva. Besides the wet properties, it does contain some enzymes to start the digestion process. I suspect that if you continually licked your regular skin, you’d see much of the same benefit. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/3 "2009-06-05T22:06:39Z")
The active ingredient in hot peppers, and in some of the medications you describe, is capsicum. Essentially, the burning you feel is a chemical reaction. This may not have been exactly the answer you were looking for, but I’m not a biologist. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/4 "2009-06-06T16:40:22Z")
That would make sense, that the sensation is more of an irritation than anything else. Still wondering about muscle pain creams, though. As for licking myself, well. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/5 "2009-06-06T18:11:49Z")
Two types of nerve cells (TRP-M8 and TRP-V1\*\*) \*\*allow us to feel the sensations of cold and heat. A protein causes these cells to react and absorb an extra sodium ion, which triggers an electrical current, which tells the brain that heat or cold is being felt. Normally this protein would be released due to exposure to actual heat or cold, but some molecules like capsicum and menthol trigger the same reaction by binding to the right neuroreceptors. That is a simplified version but it’s the basic idea. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/6 "2009-06-07T16:35:27Z")
Interesting, thanks. So it is the same nerve cells that register actual heat or cold that are “misfiring”. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burning-sensation-on-the-skin/498848/7 "2009-06-07T18:33:39Z")
Here is a good description of the receptors of heat, cold, and pain: [http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pain.html](http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pain.html) BTW, the chemical in peppers is capsaicin. Capsicum is the name for the peppers themselves.