cold spot

A "temperature spot" refers to a specific point on the skin that is particularly sensitive to either warmth or cold. In mammals, cold-sensitive spots are innervated by nerve fibers that reach the dermis and branch out beneath the epidermis. These receptors can sometimes be activated by high temperatures, leading to a sensation of cold.12

The experience of cold can also involve pain. Sharp, biting sensations at very low temperatures are due to ice crystal formation in the skin activating pain receptors. A "thermal grill illusion" can mimic burning pain when warm and cool stimuli are presented together, demonstrating a complex interaction between temperature and pain perception in the brain. This central integration is crucial for regulating body temperature and blood flow, and it influences how we perceive pain, especially in response to thermal stimuli.2