Because you never forget your first kiss

Il first kiss It's definitely something we haven't wasted: it's never forgotten. It's not just a gesture, but represents desire, fear, anticipation, confirmation of being chosen, and all of this makes it memorable, much more so than even the first sexual encounter. According to research by German anthropologist Ingelore Ebberfeld, two-thirds of women are convinced that a man who demonstrates he's a good kisser, even during his first kiss, is also a good lover. 

But science has delved deeply into the reasons that make a first kiss unforgettable, starting with the underlying effort (great efforts made the first time are hard to forget) that is suddenly revealed. To bring our lips together, in fact, requires 29 muscles, 17 of which are just to move the tongue, and during each kiss, he writes, we exchange 9 milligrams of water, 0,18 of organic substances, 0,7 of fat, 0,45 of salt, as well as hundreds of bacteria and millions of germs.

Secondly, a 2005 research of the University of Pittsburgh, entitled “Kiss 1” (First Kiss) and led by Professor Tony R. Plant, has shown that the gene KiSS-1 , kisspeptin — a protein produced by the KiSS-1 gene —activates the hormonal axis that determines the onset of puberty. Put simply: puberty officially begins with the first kiss. 

During the first kiss, dopamine is activated simultaneously, adrenalina and oxytocin: substances linked to pleasure, arousal, and bonding. Emotions are extremely intense, and this helps to better fix memories. 

Starting from these elements, American psychologist John Neil Bohannon III of Butler University in Indianapolis interviewed hundreds of men and women about their memories of their first kiss. The result: it remained etched in the memory of all interviewees, to the point that they were able to reconstruct 90 percent of the details, even decades later. Few things in life are remembered as well and for as long as a first kiss. 

Read also:

• Why kissing is good for your health
• Physical contact makes you feel better
• Why caresses are so good for everyone