why do we get goosebumps on our skin?
408004
because when you get cold your body shrinks a little bit to conserve energy. but the skin around the little hairs is attached so it doesn't shrink with they rest of the skin. so there are little bumps
619455
The phenomenon is called piloerection, which basically means hair standing up.  It is caused by tiny muscles attached to the roots of the hairs pulling the hairs upright.  \n\nPiloerection is an vestigial reaction, meaining that it served a purpose in the past, but now no longer does.  When we were hairier, it helped keep us warm.  Think of a cat or dog that fluffs up its fur when it is cold.  The upright hair traps air in the fur, which serves as an insulator.  \n\nAnimals also often fluff their fur like this when they are preparing to attack, to make themselves look larger and bulkier, hopefully intimidating their opponent.  That is why you also get goose pimples when you are scared.
567336
Simple.\n\nIt's your body's involuntary reaction to try and keep itself warm. It's essentially much like when you get goosebumps. The skin around the hair follicles contract to stop heat from escaping. It's very likely to happen to the nipple because of the nipple's many nerve endings and blood vessels. So as the skin contracts, it stiffens, hence your nipples get "hard" when it is cold outside.\n\nIt can also be reaction to sexual arousal.
629439
First, they can help prevent heat loss from the body. As the hair stands up straight, pores on the skin close. This traps the heat inside the body.\n\nSecond, as the hair stands up, the hair follicle (FALL-ick-ul) under the skin presses against a small sebaceous (suh-BAY-shus) gland. This gland causes an oily substance to rise to the top of the skin. This helps keep the skin cells from drying out. So, when you get goose bumps, you are getting a "lube job."
1086471
You've heard of a person's hair standing on end when they are frightened or otherwise emotional? You've seen how an animal's hair stands up when cornered or when cold? For humans, although most parts of our bodies don't have much hair anymore (well, most of us), the goosebumps occur where the hair follicles used to be and they are trying to make those hairs stand on end. When you're cold the same thing happens because standing hair is a better insulation than hair laying down.
135570
Most people think your skin is raising up.  It's actually the opposite.  Your skin bunches together or something.
165516
Most of us have a ticklish spot somewhere on our bodies, and it is usually pretty easy to find. For some it's just above the knee, for others it's the back of the neck, and some of us go into fits of laughter if someone grabs our sides. Laughing when another person tickles you is a natural reaction. Scientists have discovered that the feeling experienced when we are tickled causes us to panic and is a natural defense to little creepy crawlers like spiders and bugs. Slight tickles from insects can send a chill through your body letting you know something is crawling on you. \nThat same ticklish feeling sends us into a state of panic and elicits a response of uncontrollable laughter if a person tickles us. It's the moment that you least expect to be tickled and are that causes you to feel extremely uneasy and panicked, which leads to the most intense ticklish feeling. Even if you do know that you are about to be tickled, the fear and unease of someone touching and possibly hurting you causes you to laugh. Some people are so ticklish that they begin laughing even before they are touched. \n\nSo, if someone else's touch can tickle us, why can't we tickle ourselves? Much of the explanation for this question is still unknown, but research has shown that the brain is trained to know what to feel when a person moves or performs any function. We aren't aware of a lot of the sensations generated by our movements. For example, you probably don't pay much attention to your vocal cords when you speak. For the same reason, we can't tickle ourselves. If we grab our sides in an attempt to tickle ourselves, our brain anticipates this contact from the hands and prepares itself for it. By taking away the feeling of unease and panic, the body no longer responds the same as it would if someone else were to tickle us. \n\nBrain scientists at the University College London have pinpointed the cerebellum as the part of the brain that prevents us from self-tickling. The cerebellum is the region located at the base of the brain that monitors our movements. It can distinguish expected sensations from unexpected sensations. An expected sensation would be the amount of pressure your fingers apply to your keyboard while typing. An unexpected sensation would be someone sneaking up behind you and tapping you on the shoulder. While the brain discards the sensation of typing, it pays a lot of attention to someone tapping on your shoulder. The difference in reactions from expected to unexpected is a built-in response that probably developed in early human history to detect predators. \n\nAlthough we are not able to tickle ourselves unassisted, there is a way to trick the brain by using a robot tickler. That's right. With all of the know-how of science and technology, a robot has been designed to allow people to tickle themselves. The same British scientists mentioned above have designed a machine that enables you to tickle yourself by remote control. To use the machine, a person lies on their back with their eyes shut. The robot is located near the person with a piece of soft foam attached to a plastic rod that is controlled by a remote control joystick. When the person activates the rod, the robot will react after a short delay. Even with delays as short as a fifth of a second from the time the person activates the rod until the robot tickled the person's hand, subjects have described the sensation as the same as another person tickling them. So, in a sense, you could tickle yourself with a robotic assistant.
189795
Simple: Our skin has sensory nerves =)
706347
The goosebumps you get on your skin are from special muscles contracting and pulling the skin together. If you notice, it doesn't stay that way forever.  And placing ice on injuries to prevent swelling have nothing to do with reducing the amount of skin you have.\n\nDepending on your age, skin elasticity, and other factors, most likely you need to lose the fat under the skin to make it go away.  You'll have to work out and do cardio for this.\n\nFor others that have lost a significant amount of weight and their skin is unable to return to its former size, the only real answer is cosmetic surgery to remove excess skin.  Once the skin loses its elasticity, you cannot magically get rid of your skin.
662962
Goosebumps go away after you body warms up. If yours haven't gone away, then it's time for a visit to the doctor!
305505
Whenever you listen to your favourite tunes or something which means a lot to you (someone praises you),feel-good hormones ( i think it is called seratonin) are released. They probably cause the associated chills and goosebumps.
319853
Some hairs are equipped with tiny muscles that can make them "stand on end" for example when a dog suddenly barks right behind you.  You get goose bumps when these muscles act together too erect hairs are too small to easily see like on your arm or leg.  Tiny hairs on the face must not be very muscular.
766241
What actually happens with your body when you get these bumps is when you're cold or scared etc.your arrector muscles pull your hair up, and your blood vessels and ducts to your sweat glands get small to conserve heat.
970029
Goosebumps...ahem...yeah...they are uh - GOOSEBUMPS!\n\nListen, if they are there all the time, and if you have had them all of your life, then most likely they are NOT an STD - they are your skin.  Some people have skin conditions, and the skin on Mr. Thomas is no different.  Here is the thing you should look at - do they discharge, do they grow and do they hurt.  If the answer to those questions is "No", than most likely you are fine.  \n\nIt's always good to get something like that looked at - but if Mr. Thomas has had his goosebumps since early childhood - I wouldn't be too scared - I'm sure you've had enough Dr. Visits in your lifetime for someone to notice anything...odd.
520724
Mandbturner is partially right. It is when you have a shiver, but the actual myth is that you shiver when someone or something walks over the place where you will be buried when you die. Another version is "A goose walked over my grave."  This is why those little bumps you get on your skin when cold are called "goosebumps" or "goosepimples".
49214
When you feel certain emotions (like embarassment), then your body reacts by releasing chemicals that cause stuff in your body to happen. When you become embarrassed, the empty blood vessels in your cheeks get filled up with blood. This causes your face to get red.\n\n(The reason your body does this is because it associates certain emotions with feeling cold, so it pumps more warm blood to warm you up.)
116964
She gets goosebumps because it feels so dam*n good.  No worries!