Why Do I Get Goosebumps?

What are Goosebumps?

Goosebumps, also called gooseflesh or goosepimples, are tiny bumps that form on your skin when you're cold or experience strong emotions such as fear. Scientists call this reaction piloerection (pie-low-ee-REK-shun). They get their name from making your skin look like that of a plucked goose. They often appear even when you don't want them to, because they're a reflex, an automatic reaction your body controls on its own.

How Are Goosebumps Formed?

There are tiny muscles under each hair on your skin called the arrector pili (ah-REK-tor PILL-ee) muscles. These muscles are attached to the hairs and when they contract, the hairs stand up and bumps are formed. This action is triggered by the part of your nervous system that causes you to respond quickly in a dangerous situation, the sympathetic nervous system.

What Makes Us Get Goosebumps?

1. Cold

Cold is a common cause of goosebumps. When the nerve endings in your skin sense that it's getting cold, the part of your brain called the hypothalamus, your body's thermostat, reads the signal and responds by activating the sympathetic nervous system to give you the bumps.

Goosebumps also occur in animals. In furry or hairy animals such as cats, rabbits and dogs, the hair stands up and traps air to keep the animal warm in the cold. Humans have lost most of their body hair, so goosebumps no longer keep us warm.

2. Strong Emotions or Moving Moments

Fear, excitement, awe, or deep emotion can trigger goosebumps. For some, listening to music, a moving speech or watching a thrilling scene in a movie can also cause goosebumps. These strong feelings release adrenaline, a chemical that gets your body ready for action, which can switch on the same reflex.

Goosebumps can also be a reaction to fear or anger in animals. The animal appears bigger when the hairs are erect to scare away enemies.

Fun Facts Box

• Fact 1: Emotional goosebumps triggered by music or art are called frisson.
• Fact 2: A very rare group of people can make goosebumps appear on purpose. This condition is called voluntarily generated piloerection (VGP).
• Fact 3: Harvard scientists studying mice found that the nerves that make hairs stand up also wake up stem cells at the base of each hair, helping hair grow. So, goosebumps may do more than keep you warm.

In Conclusion

Goosebumps may look like a tiny skin trick, but they're just your body hard at work. Whether you're cold, scared, or moved by a favourite song, your sympathetic nervous system signals the arrector pili muscles, and up go your hairs. So the next time your skin turns bumpy, remember a lot is going on beneath the surface. What gives you goosebumps?

Reference:

Shwartz, Y., Gonzalez-Celeiro, M., Chen, C.-L., et al. (2020). Cell types promoting goosebumps form a niche to regulate hair follicle stem cells. Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.031