Why is it that when you take off something with tight elastic, like some socks, or a ponytail holder worn on the wrist, the indented flesh is itchier than it was while you were actually wearing the thing? Sure, I find that it’s somewhat uncomfortable while I’m wearing the tight socks, but when I take them off and admire the new ridgy pattern around my lower calf, the area gets much itchier for a few minutes, until the indentations go away. Why would that be? My guess is that it’s something to do with all of the blood rushing back to areas that it’s been compressed away from, but I don’t know why that would cause itching instead of pain, a sense of warmth, etc. Shallower indentations, like pillow-creases impressed in my face when I wake up, don’t itch at all, so presumably the depth of the ridges has something to do with it.
its just the circulation coming back to that area
OK, but why does returning circulation cause itching? In other situations, like recovering from cold, it can hurt; it definitely doesn’t itch if I wrap a rubber band tightly around one finger for long enough for it to be painful, then let the blood flow back in.
I’ve always thought it was because of the latex in the elastic. Latex is a fairly common allergen; it’s quite common in elastic garments, and I imagine even relatively nonsensitive people might experience a bit of irritation after hours of exposure.
I’ve never had a problem wearing latex gloves for extended periods of time during lab work, so I don’t think I have any sensitivity to latex. Granted, I’ve never worn gloves from the moment I get dressed in the morning until I change into PJs at night, but I used to wear them for an hour or two at a time when I did many lab procedures.