Slap Me!!!

[BillGeek]

Why does your skin turn red and warm when injured? To test: Place a clamp on your left ear lobe for around 30 seconds, then remove. Notice that about two minutes later (varies from person to person) your ear feels hot (like it's glowing), and it's actually red. Why?

Is this a nervous system response to trauma?

[kregg]

I doubt that a lightbulb will cause trauma. I think the ear lobe just goes red and hot because it's actually received a lot of heat from the lamp and your blood cells are trying to release the heat by vasodilation (the process in which blood vessels widen to make more blood flow to that area - the more blood flows around that area, the more heat can be given off).

If you are talking about a bruise, that's when the capillaries are broken (due to an extreme external force) and blood flows into the surrounding tissue.

[Atheist]

CLAMP NOT LAAAAMPPPPPPP

[MaximilianMayrhofer]

No I suspect it is just a reaction by your nerves to the friction-induced heat generated by blood rushing back into capillaries.

[mendhak]

With injuries, it's all the fluid gathering in that area due to broken blood vessels that causes the heat/swelling. So it's effectively your body trying to fix itself.

[crptcblade]

I think you've been hexed by a witch.

[homer13j]

[kregg]

CLAMP NOT LAAAAMPPPPPPP

You get this for making me look stupid -->

As for clamps... Actually you raise a good point. This is not in mah learninz. I must learn nao!