Hot Shower Vs Cold Shower: Which One Is Better
Hot Shower Vs Cold Shower: Are you one of those who likes to have a hot, steaming shower in the morning? While hot showers have their own therapeutic effects, did you know that a cold shower can also do a lot of good to you?
From calming itchy skin to enhancing your blood circulation, cold showers have many health benefits. But which one is better? We give you the complete picture of cold and hot showers.
[A]. How Do Cold Showers Help?
Cold showers have multiple benefits. Unless you are unwell or have been advised not to have them by a doctor, cold showers are largely beneficial.
Protects Your Skin And Hair
When you shower with cold water, it does not strip your skin and hair of their natural oils. Coldwater closes pores, which tightens the skin. It is also gentler on your hair and prevents hair fall.
Increasing Circulation
Since cold showers make the blood flow faster through your body to maintain the ideal body temperature, they are beneficial in reducing inflammation and can potentially prevent cardiovascular disease.
Relaxes Muscles And Improves Circulation
After an intense workout, a cold shower helps the muscles to relax. This prevents soreness and improves the circulation of blood to the body parts that were worked upon. They are also known to reduce inflammation and numb pain.
May help boost weight loss
Some fat cells, such as brown fat, can generate heat by burning fat. They do this when your body is exposed to cold conditions like in a shower.
Gerrit Keferstein, MD, says these cells are mostly situated around the neck and shoulder area. So, perfect for showers!
[B]. Benefits Of Hot Showers
If you find you are unable to relax after a stressful day, a hot shower can help. Here are some of its benefits:
Improved Muscle And Joint Health
When you take a hot shower, it relaxes the nerves and muscles; which makes you feel relaxed all over. The hot water can also improve blood circulation that can reduce stiffness in the joints like the ankles, knees, and shoulders.
Improved Sleep
Hot showers help to release the tension in the body and relax muscles. This induces a feeling of tiredness, which helps you sleep better. All you need to do is make sure the water is not too hot.
Reduces the sugar levels
A hot water bath reduces the sugar levels in the body, making your body less prone to diabetes.
Hot showers help with blemishes
Hot showers can help open up the pores of the skin, which allows you to clean out the trapped dirt and oil.
Disadvantages Of Hot Showers And Cold Showers
[1] Disadvantages Of Hot Showers
Hot showers can dry out your skin. The keratin cells present on the top layer of your skin get damaged when it comes in contact with extremely hot water. Thus, moisture is not locked in your skin leading to dryness.
Hot showers can also aggravate chronic skin conditions like eczema. This is due to the excessive drying of skin that occurs with very hot water.
It can also make your skin itch even if you don’t have a skin condition. Hot showers are not advisable if you have high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. If the water is too hot, these conditions can get aggravated
If the water is too hot, and you shampoo your hair, it can dry the hair out and strip your scalp of its natural oils, leaving it frizzy. The same applies to the skin, where very hot water can strip the skin of its natural oils making it dry and itchy.
Also read: Why Bath Are Great For Your Health: Health Trends
[2] Disadvantages Of Cold Showers
Cold showers can make you feel worse if you are unwell as they can have an adverse effect on your immune system. If you already have a cold, cough, or fever, you will feel colder and your body will take longer to warm up.
Also read: How To Reduce Wrinkles On The Face?