# Why does alcohol on a cut hurt?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794 "2001-09-20T15:00:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794/1 "2001-09-20T15:00:42Z")

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I know it disinfects the wound, but what about that makes it hurt so much? And why doesn’t it hurt when you get it on non-injured skin?

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794/2 "2001-09-20T17:01:47Z")

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Alcohol kills living cells by dehydrating them. Therefore, if you put alcohol on a cut, you’re killing cells (the bacteria that you intend to kill, but also your own cells) and that hurts.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794/3 "2001-09-20T17:23:54Z")

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Just to be a bit more specific, you are dehydrating **nerve** cells and that hurts. Most of your cells have no way to complain about being mistreated.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-alcohol-on-a-cut-hurt/82794/4 "2001-09-20T17:42:08Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Squink \*Most of your cells have no way to complain about being mistreated. \*\*

Don’t anybody tell the tree-hugging eco-freaks… 🙂