Goosebumps are known to doctors as a manifestation of the pilometer reflex. The reflex, triggered by cold and the adrenaline rush of strong emotions, involves the arrector pili muscles. There is one muscle for each hair that connects a hair follicle to skin tissue. When touched by cold, the muscle contracts, causing the hair to stand on end, trapping precious body heat. However, there is a difference between these tiny muscles on the body and those on the face. The arrector pili muscles in the body are attached to one side of the hair and they yank the hairs aloft when they contract. In 1993 a Japanese researcher found that the muscles surround facial hair, but when they contract, no net movement is produced. However, there is still some debate as to whether the face actually has any arrector pili muscles.
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