• Question: why do our hairs stand on end when we get cold??

    Asked by penelopie to Alexander, Josh, Serena, Simone, Stuart on 24 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Josh Makepeace

      Josh Makepeace answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      Hi penelopie! Thanks for the question – I answered a similar one on goosebumps if you’re interested in taking a look. Basically, it’s your body trying to keep warm. What happens when you get cold is there are little muscles around the base of your hairs which contract, and make the hairs stand on end (and you get goosebumps, too!). When the hairs stand on end, they’re able to trap a little layer of air close to your skin, and this layer of air stays slightly warmer than the air around you. This way, your body loses just a bit less heat than it would otherwise. Together with shivering, this is the way your body tries hard to stay warm!

      Hope this helps 🙂

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