How Does Paper Cut Someone?

Odelia E. (age 11) asked,

“How does paper cut someone?”

Thanks for your question, Odelia.

Because paper is thin, the edges can be stiff and sharp. If you aren’t careful while turning the pages in a book or shuffling through a stack of papers, the edges of the paper can slide over your finger and cause a cut, like a sharp knife.

Most paper cuts are very small. But for such a tiny injury, a paper cut can be pretty painful! All over our bodies, we have nerve endings called nociceptors (no-si-SEP-ters). These nociceptors send signals to our brain when we get hurt. Paper cuts feel so painful because we have more nociceptors in our hands than in any other part of our body.

Scientists recently did a study on how thin paper needs to be to cause a cut. They used a jellylike substance to mimic human skin, then tried cutting it with different kinds of paper. A thin piece (such as tissue paper) bent on the jelly’s surface. Thick paper made a dent in the jelly, but it couldn’t break through the surface, like a dull knife trying to cut through an apple. The scientists discovered that when paper is 65 micrometers thick, it is “just right” for giving someone a paper cut.1 The pages of newspapers and magazines are usually about this thick.

The scientists also learned that the angle of the paper plays a role. You are much more likely to get a paper cut if the paper slides first across and then down on your finger. 2

While little paper cuts can be painful (and annoying if you accidentally rub hand sanitizer or lotion into it!), they are a tiny reminder of our fallen world where we experience injury, pain, and sickness. But they can also remind us that someday God will create a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more crying or pain (Revelation 21:4).

Do you have a question about God’s Word or his world that you want us to answer? Is there a topic you want to learn more about? Ask your parents to help you submit your question today. Watch for our answer here on the blog or in Kids Answers magazine. We’d love to hear from you!

Footnotes

1. Sif Fink Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Matthew D. Biviano, and Kaare H. Jensen, “Competition Between Slicing and Buckling Underlies the Erratic Nature of Paper Cuts,” Physical Review E 110, no. 2 (August 2024): Article 025003, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.110.025003.
2. Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Biviano, and Jensen, “Competition between Slicing,” Article 025003.