But new research shows that we may have been underestimating the role of the humble goosebump.
Professor Rod Sinclair, dermatologist at the University of Melbourne, explained he had been "following a hunch" that goosebumps were not just an evolutionary by-product.
It turns out that Professor Sinclair's hunch may have been on track, as his new research shows the "goosebump muscle" could hold the key for skin cancer, baldness and burns treatment.
"As we do more research we find that nothing is for nothing. It's almost as though there's a grand design to the body.