hair

[shazzz]

why do the hairs on my arms stand up

[andy hughes]

Although we are 'civilised' as a species, a number of our primeval characteristics still remian, and this is one.

Early man would have been covered with hair to keep him warm, and to act as protection from attack. Any 'fight-or-flight' stimulous, fear being the most obvious, causes the skin around hair folicles to contract, and the hair to stand up, to provide warmth and protection.

In modern man, the absence of serious hair covering means that only certain areas communicate that sensation to the brain - the back of the neck being the most obvious, but the hair on the arms performs similalry, and is a visible reaction.

[pleaser]

They stand up because of static electricity presant in your body, this can be caused in a number of ways the most common of which is through kenetic energy (produced by body movement) over man made fibres which could be both clothing or carpets etc; happens on the hair on your head, if you rub like mad with a blown up balloon over your hair then hold the balloon just of your hair and watch your hair rise up to the balloon. hope this helps a little.