Humans are hard wired to crave the touch of other humans. The scalp has thousands of nerve points that connect to the amygdala which is that part of the brain that is our pleasure center. The touching of the hair is rapidly transferred to this pleasure center making you “feel good”.
Touching of the hair, head and scalp are especially intoxicating as there are “Specialized sensory neurons located at the base the hair follicles,” says Williams.
Hair does not contain nerve endings. However, hair follicles, which are located in the dermis, are surrounded by touch receptors. That's why you can feel it if someone or something touches your hair. If it's a friend stroking your ponytail, you'll be pleased.
The small muscles around your head are receptive to touch, with an extensive network of nerve endings and touch receptors. In fact, the head has more touch receptors than the back, which means that this area can really benefit from massage.
If you caress someone, you stroke them gently and affectionately. He was gently caressing her golden hair.
Stroking the hair is a preening gesture, which can be deliberate checking that it is perfectly coiffed or an invitation to stroke also. Playing with the hair is particularly flirtatious and invites the other person to do this for you.
Hugging and other forms of nonsexual touching cause your brain to release oxytocin, known as the "bonding hormone." This stimulates the release of other feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine.
Touching heads is a uniquely human emotional expression that does not occur in nonhuman primates. All races, age groups and sexes of humankind interpret this behavior as an expression of positive emotions, such as love—including brotherly love, friendship etc.
Emotionally intense experiences
Likewise, intensely pleasurable experiences, such as listening to music or the gentle touch of a loved one, can cause the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that plays a role in motivation, reward, and pleasure. Experiences such as this can also cause goosebumps.
She's establishing a more intimate relationship where it's common for you both to enter each other's 3 foot bubble. Playing with someone's hair and rubbing the scalp is most often a pleasureable experience. She is likely touching you to bring about such pleasure.
Autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, causes a tingling sensation in your head and neck after triggers like repetitive movements or whispering. Most people describe the tingling as very relaxing, even pleasurable. Scientists have only recently started studying ASMR, and there's a lot they don't know about it.
There is nothing wrong with setting your hair in place now and then. Still, if you touch your hair frequently all the time, this may be a symptom of anxiety disorder and can develop into trichotillomania – compulsive hair pulling that causes visible hair loss.
Flirting and seduction: Playing with hair can be an intentional flirtatious gesture. It draws attention to their physical attributes and can serve as a subconscious attempt to captivate the person they are interacting with.
Some refer to it as a “brain orgasm.” Have you ever felt a static-like or tingling sensation on the top of your head when someone brushes your hair or whispers to you? The feeling may travel down your arms and your spine, and it likely makes you feel very relaxed.
Most people who play with their hair (or tap pens or jiggle their legs) do it to relax or expend excess energy, not because they're anxious. As a child, I twirled if I was tired; it was repetitive, and I found it calming.
It's a way of showing their affection
If a guy plays with your hair, it may just be the best way to express himself. He may not play with it in an obvious way, but act like he's arranging it, or dusting something off it. From his body language, you'll know if he is romantically into you, or only admiring the hair.
Here is the Wiki definition of 'noogies' An act of putting a person in a headlock and rubbing one's knuckles on the other person's head, often a playful gesture of affection when done lightly; To perform a noogie on.
If you notice he is making more eye contact with you or you catch a guy staring at you, he is probably attracted to you. He may be enthralled by your good looks and may be fantasizing about kissing you. Perhaps he stares at you and smiles; that could mean he likes you, too.
Awoman's touch is all it takes to make men feel more secure and more willing totake risks. A research shows that a simple pat on the backfrom a woman appears to be all men need to throw financial caution to the wind,reports express.co.uk.
When you feel like something is lacking within you, you may crave someone. When you're emotionally all over the place on some level, you may crave someone. Feeding into a memory, the way a person made you feel or a desire that you possibly have been suppressing, that too can cause you to crave someone.
Touch his shoulder or grab his hand.
Or, reach up and gently touch his shoulder or rub his back, letting him know you are thinking about him.
Some men are possessive about their hair, so they don't enjoy a random person touching it. However, if he likes you, he might feel relaxed when you run your fingers through his hair. They feel special and pampered by your touch. You can enhance their experience by lightly massaging their scalp.
Females playing with their hair can mean a lot of things, such as she's grooming herself, it makes her feel comfortable, or she's flirting with you.
Playing with your hair is one of those actions everyone seems to do at least once during their day. Silkup explains that hair touching can be considered a symptom of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in extreme cases, and is sometimes used as a coping mechanism to help people deal with feelings of anxiety.