It only itches in one specific phase. When the hairs are very short they just stick out, and when they're very long they hang down, but when they're juuust the right length (about half a centimeter for me) they bend downwards and the tip scrapes against the skin.
Long bears don't have this problem, but they provide shelter for all manner of small critters, whose movements and bites are of course a much more serious cause of discomfort.
Poll