What is the likely result of aggressively rubbing the area after contact with cactus spines containing glochids?

Answer

Driving hundreds of these tiny barbs deeper into the tissue, triggering significant inflammation.

The fine nature of glochids means that any friction applied to the contact area after they have embedded can exacerbate the situation significantly. Rubbing or aggressive manipulation effectively pushes these barbed bristles further into the dermal layers. Because of their fishhook-like structure, deeper penetration means they become even more firmly lodged, which in turn presents a much larger foreign body challenge to the immune system. This increased introduction of foreign material escalates the body's natural defense response, leading directly to a more pronounced inflammatory reaction characterized by increased swelling and intense redness.

What is the likely result of aggressively rubbing the area after contact with cactus spines containing glochids?
cactusplantInjuryfingerswelling