Why is physical contact important for our health?

When it comes to expressions about skin, the English language is not lacking. For example, we can be thick or thin skinned, or have someone under our skin. To show indifference, we say “it’s no skin off” our noses, and when we get excited we “jump out of” our skin. 

The sheer number of different idioms reflects the deep links the skin has with our brains. Sometimes these links are visible and give away our feelings, when we blush, go pale or get goosebumps. The same can be said for stress too, in the case of some skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis.

How does the skin send information to the brain? What impact does touch have on our brains? How does touch affect health then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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