Here’s What Your Body’s Telling You When You Get Goosebumps

Updated on September 21, 2023, this article by Madeleine Burry explains the physiological causes of goose bumps, featuring insights from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology. Goose bumps, or piloerection, are an involuntary reflex of the sympathetic nervous system triggered when tiny muscles at the base of hair follicles contract.

Here are the primary reasons you experience this reaction:

• Cold Temperatures: Dr. Todd Minars explains that the body contracts the muscles around hair follicles in an attempt to retain heat and insulate against the cold. Because humans lack thick fur, this is an ineffective warming tactic. Dr. Minars notes that this skin change is temporary and disappears once you warm up.
• Emotional Surges: Strong emotions like fear, excitement, joy, sexual arousal, or awe can trigger goose bumps. Research shows that engaging with emotional stimuli, such as listening to music, watching dramatic film clips, or hearing poetry, frequently provokes this involuntary reaction.
• Involuntary Muscle Contractions: Medical conditions or bodily states that cause involuntary muscle contractions can lead to goose bumps. This includes seizures, withdrawal from alcohol or opioids, and fevers accompanied by chills.
• Keratosis Pilaris: Sometimes called “chicken skin,” this harmless condition looks like goose bumps but feels rougher and does not fluctuate with temperature changes. Dr. Todd Minars of Minars Dermatology explains that it occurs when the body overproduces keratin, a protein that then clogs the hair follicles. It typically appears on the arms or legs and can be treated with prescribed creams.

Read the full article here.