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"Is there anything quite as satisfying as giving an annoying itch a truly amazing scratch? According to new research, there are some body parts that feel better to scratch-amazingly than others... For a new study in the British Journal of Dermatology, researchers rubbed cowhage spicules--tiny threads from a kind of legume that cause super-intense itching--on participants&amp;#x27; various body parts. The participants weren&amp;#x27;t allowed to scratch their own itches (just thinking about this is making me itchy); the researchers instead monitored the itches, and used a special medical brush to rate the pleasurability of the scratch. The body part that participants were most relieved to have scratched? The ankle. According to &amp;quot;itchologist&amp;quot; and study author Gil Yosipovitch: &amp;quot;We see commonly involved areas such as the ankle and back in itchy patients with skin disorders caused by eczema or psoriasis. We never understood why those areas were more affected, and now we better understand that itch in these areas is more intense and pleasurable to scratch.&amp;quot; This research could possibly help in creating treatments for people with itchy skin diseases. Feeling thoroughly itchy now? I seriously can&amp;#x27;t take it! What are your favorite itch-relieving methods? Do you have any one area of your body that gets itchier than others? More on itchy issues: * Does Watching Someone Else Scratch Make You Itch? * Embarrassing Question: &amp;quot;Help! I Love Spanx, But Are They Causing Odor and Itching Down There?&amp;quot; * What Worries You More: Superbugs or Bedbugs? More Ways to Get Glamour Visit Shopglamour.com for cute stuff starting at just $10! Enter the latest Glamour sweepstakes! Follow us on Twitter Add us to your iGoogle homepage Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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