two shower water | cold water vs hot water

Which Is the Better Option: Taking a Cold Shower or a Hot One?

Are you a morning shower enthusiast? Do you like a hot, steamy shower? While hot water showers have their own therapeutic benefits, did you know that a cold shower may also be beneficial?

Cold showers provide several health advantages, ranging from soothing irritated skin to improving blood circulation. However, which one is preferable? We provide a comprehensive overview of cold and hot showers.

How Can Cold Showers Benefit?

Cold showers offer several advantages. Cold showers are generally good unless you are ill or have been told by a doctor not to take them. Okay, let's check out a few of them:

Muscle Relaxation and Circulation Improvement

A cold shower after a strenuous exercise helps the muscles relax. This reduces discomfort and enhances blood circulation to the body areas that have been worked on. They are also renowned for their ability to decrease inflammation and dull pain.

May Aid in Weight Loss

Some fat cells in the body, particularly those around the neck and shoulders, create heat by burning fat. This is particularly true when your body is subjected to cold stimuli, such as cold water. This may aid with weight reduction.

Guards Your Skin And Hair

Showering with cold water does not remove the natural oils from your skin and hair. Cold water blocks pores, causing the skin to tighten. In addition to being gentler on the hair, it also aids in keeping it from falling out.

Improved Circulation

Cold showers are good in lowering inflammation and may possibly prevent cardiovascular disease because they cause the blood to circulate quicker through your body to maintain the correct body temperature.

Soothes Itchy Skin

If you have an itchy skin condition like eczema, a cold shower might help minimise the itchy feeling that drives you to scratch.

Increases Alertness and Energy

The chilly water of the shower striking your body in the morning shakes you awake. This shock boosts your heart rate and oxygen intake, making you more alert and energised.

What Are the Advantages of a Hot Shower?

If you find it difficult to unwind after a long day, a hot shower might help. Here are some of its advantages:

Respiratory Symptom Relief

Exposing the nose to steam is an ancient natural cure for colds and coughs. The steam and heat from the water in a hot shower loosens mucus, expands the airways, and clears your nasal tube.

Muscle And Joint Health Improvements

A hot shower soothes the nerves and muscles, leaving you feeling relaxed all over. Hot water may also enhance blood circulation, reducing stiffness in joints such as the ankles, knees, and shoulders.

Better Sleep

Hot baths assist to relieve muscular tension and relax the body. This causes you to feel fatigued, which allows you to sleep better. All you have to do is ensure that the water is not too hot.

Reduces blemishes

The hot shower's steam and heat open congested pores. Following this, you may exfoliate the oil and debris out of your skin, reducing blemishes and blackheads.

Dermatologists' Advice on How to Take a Shower

Shower once a day, and twice a day during the hotter months. Shower for five minutes or less, particularly if you have a skin issue since extended showers cause dry skin and hair. Be aware of the items you use; avoid harsh soaps and cleansers and instead choose moisturising ones.

For a fast shower, concentrate on your underarms, groyne, and feet. Sometimes just cleaning your arms and legs is sufficient. If you are not comfortable with hot or cold water, take a shower with lukewarm water.

Washing your hair too regularly should be avoided. Twice a week should be enough. Take care of your hair by using products designed for it. Don't wash it too rarely, since this might cause dandruff.

Begin at the top, washing your hair and applying conditioner before washing the remainder of your body. If you have acne, remove the conditioner before washing your body.

Which Is More Beneficial to Your Health, a Hot or Cold Shower?

Both hot and cold showers have advantages. Shower with lukewarm water first, then apply a moisturiser to your body while it is still wet. Cold showers may soothe itchy skin while hot showers help relax muscles and cleanse the nasal channel.

You may choose one or the other depending on the weather and any health issues you may have. Avoid taking a cold shower in the winter and if you have a fever or are suffering from a cold. Also, if you don't enjoy cold showers, make sure the water is at least lukewarm.

When Should You Take Hot Or Cold Showers?

Cold showers are ideal after an intensive exercise, as soon as you wake up, and even as soon as you come home from work to remove filth and debris.

A shower with lukewarm or cold water in the summer will help you feel less sticky in humid conditions.

Hot showers are effective when taken an hour or two before going to bed and when you are sick. A hot shower is advised after a massage to allow the oils to be absorbed into the skin.

Potential Hazards

Even when showering, there are hazards. You are more likely to acquire a headache if you wash your hair with cold water and then go out in the sun without drying it. If you already have high blood pressure, a hot shower may boost it even more.

Negative Effects of Hot Showers

Hot baths may cause the skin to dry out. When you come into touch with very hot water, the keratin cells on the top layer of your skin are destroyed. As a result, moisture is not trapped in your skin, resulting in dryness.
Hot baths may also worsen chronic skin disorders such as eczema. This is due to the excessive drying of the skin caused by excessively hot water. Even if you don't have a skin disease, it might cause itching.
If you suffer from high blood pressure or cardiovascular illness, you should limit your use of hot water for showering.These symptoms might worsen if the water is excessively hot.
When you shower your hair in hot water, it may dry it out and rob your scalp of its natural oils, making it frizzy. The same is true for the skin, where too hot water may strip it of its natural oils, leaving it dry and irritated.

Negative Effects of Cold Water

Cold showers might make you feel worse if you are sick since they suppress your immune system. You will feel colder and your body will take longer to warm up if you already have a cold, cough, or fever.

Take Away

So, whether you take a hot or cold shower, don't shower for too long since it dries your skin off. If you have a cardiac issue, avoid taking a hot shower. Shower items should be chosen with care. While each has benefits and downsides, finding a happy medium yields the greatest outcomes.

References:

From Hot to Cold: The Hidden Health Benefits of Bathing
A Mooventhan and L Nivethitha, May 2014, Scientific Evidence-Based Effects of Hydrotherapy on Various Systems of the Body