WHY DO I GET GOOSE PIMPLES IN A HOT SAUNA?

KLAFS FAQ FOR WELL-BEING

Some people are very surprised to find that they erupt in goose pimples when they enter a hot sauna. Goose pimples are normally a sign that you feel cold – which is hardly the case in a hot sauna. If this happens to you, don’t worry. Nothing is wrong; there’s a very simple and rather intriguing explanation. In order for us to “feel” the temperature, our skin contains various sensory cells, sometimes called receptors. Some enable us to feel heat, whilst others enable us to feel cold. We have a far higher number of cold receptors than heat receptors. When you enter the sauna, your body can react sometimes in an unusual manner. Your cold receptors are bombarded by a strong stimulus – the hot air. They process this information incorrectly, and react as though they were being bombarded with cold. By coming up in goose pimples. It’s a completely harmless reaction, and passes as soon as your body interprets the stimulus correctly.