The arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) in the distal parts of the extremities play a significant role in the heat exchange with the environment. The aim of the study was to examine the thermal responses to mild whole-body cooling, and especially the behavior of finger skin temperature (T_f, rich in AVAs). Eight young men sat in minimal clothing at 32 ordm;C air temperature (Ta), which was then lowered gradually to 13 ordm;C in 100 min. In the beginning of cooling, T_f was high and fluctuating, and then suddenly exhibited a rapid fall, while temperatures in other skin sites fell fairly linearly along decreasing Ta to the end of cooling. During the period from start to the rapid fall in T_f, rectal temperature decreased from 37.4 °C (SD 0.2) to 37.2 °C (0.2), mean skin temperature from 34.6 °C (0.5) to 31.2 °C (2.0), and whole-body thermal sensation from 'slightly warm/warm' to 'slightly cool/cold'. The start of the steep fall in T_f varied considerably between individuals in terms of time (2–75 min), air temperature (16.7–32.0 °C), and mean skin temperature (28.8–34.7 °C). On the other hand, the range in T_f at that point was narrower (32.1–35.8 °C). The findings stress the importance of taking into account the distal skin temperatures in thermoregulatory studies in addition to the ordinarily used more proximal and central skin sites. Also, it might be advisable to start such experiments with relatively high (possibly around 32–36 °C), and fluctuating T_f in order to guarantee that the thermal state of the subject is well defined.