What I THINK you may be referring to is an inner-thermostat connected to your nervous system event. The sensation of relief from temperature change has a lot to do with the mind and expectations. A good little experiment is to hold one hand onto a cool surface (wooden table works best) hold that one hand there for about 20-30 seconds. Then switch hands in that exact same spot. The spot where your first hand felt cool on the table the whole time will now feel warm to the other hand. This is especially sensitive with hands and feet because they’re like little probes for the world around you.