Bizarre Questions People Ask Doctors

We do get them on our cheeks, says Jessica Krant, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Goose bumps, or cutis anserine, occur where we have hair—pretty much everywhere except for our palms and soles of feet, Krant says. She breaks down the process: Each hair follicle contains a microscopic muscle called arrectores pilorum that contracts in response to the sensation of cold, or the feelings of fear or excitement. The reason most of us, especially women, don't notice goose bumps on our face is because the peach fuzz there is usually fine and short, and our facial skin muscles are less robust than those in our arms and legs. Krant adds that if you find goose-pimply bumps on any part of your body that don't seem to be affected by fear or temperature, you might have keratosis pilaris, an eczema-like condition caused by inflamed follicles.