When should goosebumps on my skin be further investigated and treated?

Doctor's Answers 1

Hello,

This is an interesting question and I guess you have been troubled by it for a long time.

Goosebumps develop due to contraction of muscles underneath the skin surface, and these muscles are linked to hair follicles. An example of an occasion where goosebumps may develop is in a cold environment when the muscles contract, trying to keep you warm. This leads to tiny bumps on the skin that appear as goosebumps.

Goosebumps can also be triggered by emotional stimuli. In your case, it seems as if thick clothing or rough clothing material can trigger your goosebumps. This is due to the surface of the skin being irritated and thus leading to contraction of the muscles. You mentioned that the thought of such clothing can also trigger goosebumps, and this is certainly possible due to mental and emotional stimuli.

Be rest assured that this is not a skin disease per se, just that your skin is very sensitive to such stimuli.

A condition which may appear like goosebumps is keratosis pilaris, in which there are tiny brown rough spots usually on the outer arms, thighs and back. However, these do not disappear and there may be someone in the family with a similar condition.

There is no exact cure for goosebumps except to avoid the particular stimulus. A useful tip to keep the skin healthy and perhaps less sensitive is to use a good quality moisturiser daily.

Hope the above information helps.

Take care and happy holidays!

Warm regards,

Dr Ker Khor Jia

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