Lips Don’t Lie: 4 Ways Your Body Reacts to Kissing

Ready to crank up the heat, ladies? Sure, we all enjoy a good smooch, but kissing boasts more benefits than just giving us pleasure. A steamy make out session with your significant other triggers the "on" switch in your body, which can lead to a whole variety of reactions within us! According to TIME Magazine, romantic kissing is part of more than 90 percent of human cultures, which makes it pretty darn important for creating lasting love connections and provoking those addictive feelings of arousal and sensuality. This naturally leads to the question: What goes on in our body during a lip locking session that elicits such a strong reaction? Take a look below to learn more!

>> Read more: 5 Reasons Why Kissing Is Good For You

1. Kissing increases blood flow. Believe it or not, our lips are hypersensitive — nearly 200 times more sensitive than our fingertips, according to Women's Health Magazine. When we are engaged in a hot make out session we stimulate those nerve endings, which leads to increased blood flow to certain areas that promote our sexual arousal.

2. Kissing kickstarts the adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands can actually sense the excitement within your body. They unleash a rush of adrenaline, which can lead to increased heart rate, heavy breathing, and even sweaty palms! It is even estimated that kissing can burn up to 100 calories!

>> Read more: Is Having Sex 'Healthy?'

3. Kissing triggers the release of chemicals in the brain. The stimulation of the nerve endings in our lips that occurs when we kiss leads to the transmissions of signals back to our brain's cortex. These signals trigger the release of neurotransmitters, which give us that warm, fuzzy feeling that we associate with falling in love. One of the neurotransmitters that is released in dopamine, which regulates our feelings of pleasure and motivation to take part in enjoyable activities (like sex). Endorphins also swamp our system, and these little buggers are known for their ability to relieve pain and activate feelings of euphoria and elation. Our pituitary gland also releases oxytocin, or the "love hormone" into our bodies as well. This hormone encourages us to bond with our partner and create an emotional attachment to them.

4. Kissing serves as a mood-booster. Our bodies release serotonin and phenylethylamine during that particularly heated lip locking session, which can actually spark feelings of happiness and giddiness. Chemistry aside, kissing can boost our self esteem and reduce any pent-up tension we may be carrying around.

>> Learn more by checking out these 10 interesting facts about sex and love!

Overall, kissing stimulates an assortment of reactions — both chemical and emotional — within our bodies that can contribute to our overall wellbeing and sense of pleasure. For more information, feel free to check out our sources: Hormones Matter, eHarmony.com, TIME Magazine, and Women's Health Magazine.