Have you been single, or separated from a partner during the Covid-19 induced social distancing and isolation campaigns? If so, there’s a strong chance you haven’t had much, or any, skin to skin contact with another person. Hugging is out the window, handshakes are taboo, and so is just about any other form of human physical contact. This has led to a rapid rise in what some people are calling “skin hunger”.
Skin hunger simply describes our need for physical contact with other people - a hug from a friend, an arm around the shoulder. All these things are actually biological necessities according to neurologist Edmund Rolls. It’s not even as simple as a sexual need, but a need for profound contact with other humans. Humans are social animals and touch is effectively a part of our language -- we use it to communicate moods, offer comfort and emphasise meaning. Touch actually increases the brain’s production of oxytocin, the hormone that makes us feel good.
By this logic, while the current phenomenon of skin hunger might seem to be just a mental issue, it’s actually a physical one too. A lack of oxytocin can lead to an overabundance of cortisol, the stress hormone, which in turn can lead to a weakening of the immune system.
On the other hand though, the socially distant world we’re now living in has been long overdue for some people! After all, there are a huge number of people in the world who don’t feel comfortable with physical contact such as hugs, particularly from people they don’t know very well. While much of the world is crying out for skin to skin contact, one imagines there are plenty of others welcoming the drought.
