How can a hangnail be so small and yet, incredibly painful?

Question

I’ve had cuts, burns and other minor injuries (pro chef) that pale in comparison to a hangnail. What causes them to be this severe?

In: Biology

Answer 1

I’m not sure, but most likely is that there’s a high concentration of small nerve endings there.

Answer 2

Old biology books used to show an image that compared the amount of sensory nerves in each part of the body by making the more sensitive parts larger. ([Here’s a typical image.](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodymods/comments/6onqgh/cortical_homunculus/)) The lips, hands, and genitals are the largest things in the picture. More nerve endings give you stronger sensations of pleasure and pain for little things.