The Science Behind Goose Pimples

Have you even seen a movie so scary that it gave you the chills? Did the hair on your arms stand up on end? Well the truth of the matter is that your body has a physiological response that causes goose bumps to form.

There are actually special muscles called arrector pili that attach to hair follicles in the skin. Contraction of these muscles cause hairs to raise up away from the skin. You cannot voluntarily control the arrector pili, like you do when you decide to raise your arms. Instead they contract in response to stimuli such as changes in temperature. When get cold, these muscles will be acting in full force.

So what does this mean for us as we shave? Your hair grows independent from whether the arrector pili contract or not, so whether you get goose bumps or not, you still need to shave. However, shaving over skin with active goose bumps may cause problems. Beware of cutting yourself more easily since goose bumps make the skin surface uneven. You may end up irritated and red as a hen.