A hot shower triggers the thermoregulatory system, which causes blood to travel from the heart to the hands and feet, removing heat and reducing the temperature. According to University of Texas research, a hot shower can improve total sleep length, sleep quality, and circadian rhythm.
It's generally agreed that very hot showers are bad for your skin, including the skin on your body if you don't get your face wet. The general recommendation is to use the lowest temperature you can comfortably tolerate (within the warm-lukewarm range, not literally cold unless you prefer that).
Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep. Understanding when to take a hot or cold shower is essential. Both deliver incredible potential health benefits and can affect your body differently.
Cons of Hot Showers
Hot showers can dry the skin by removing natural oils, leaving the skin itchy and flaky. For people with certain pre-existing dry skin conditions, such as eczema, hot showers may exacerbate the condition.
"Lukewarm water, usually water temperature between 98 to 105 degrees, is best," Bunimovich says. A warm, but not hot, shower is the way to go, Ovits agrees, because this is toasty enough to feel relaxed without scorching the skin or compromising its health and ability to retain moisture.
Rule of thumb is safe bathing and showering temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That means your heater hot water temperature should be set at or below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes water heater thermometers vary depending on the brand, the age, or how much the water heater is used.
“Your muscles are relaxed, and you're not as tense.” That's because hot water widens your blood vessels and increases blood flow, which helps transport soreness-inducing lactic acid away from tired muscles. Likewise, the water massaging your skin can improve circulation, which has a similar effect.
Taking cold showers every day for 30 days may lead to increased energy levels and alertness as well as improved overall health. Your skin and hair may feel and look better due to the reduced drying and irritating effects of a hot shower. However, remember, individual responses to cold therapy vary.
Hot water makes the pores of your hair follicles open up naturally. The high temperature damages your strands by destroying the keratin and lipid bonds on your hair cuticles. This ruptures the cuticle layers, causing frizz. Cold water shrinks the pores and keeps them shut, hence reduces hair fall.
Most dermatologists say that your shower should last between five and 10 minutes to cleanse and hydrate your skin, but no longer than 15 minutes to avoid drying it out. You can still benefit from the shower length you prefer, whether long and luxurious, quick and efficient or somewhere in the middle.
As we've learned, cold exposure heats up your body and gets you energized. Meanwhile a lower body temperature is what makes you sleepy. Therefore, you want to avoid taking cold showers before bed, as it could be harder to get to sleep.
Scalding showers can lead to the removal of skin layers and essential oils from your body, which can be damaging, and regularly exposing your hair and skin to too much hot water can be detrimental to both, research shows.
Start the change by lowering the thermostat to a lukewarm range of 37 to 40 deg Celsius. Of course, hot showers are only one cause of premature skin aging. Keep at a moisture- and antioxidant-rich skincare routine to maintain a youthful appearance.
A quick trip to the bathroom for a hot shower, it turns out, may bring some relief. Hot showers chill us out by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system and elevating body temperature while relaxing muscles, which offers both physical and mentally relief.
The role of the hypothalamus in regulating body temperature is well known. More recently, the hypothalamus has been reported to serve as a location for integrating central and peripheral thermosensory input. Subjective thermoregulatory sensation could initiate the need to act, or in this case, to take a hot shower.
Five to 10 minutes is ideal for showering. If you stay in the water too long, it can dry out your skin. Use non-drying soap. Whether you prefer a bar or liquid body cleanser, choose one labeled as moisturizing to help keep your skin hydrated.
Taking hot showers
But as it turns out, spending up to one hour in a hot shower or bath can wash away extra pounds as well. When you're showering in hot water, your body has to work harder to maintain its normal temperature, which, in turn, helps you to burn more calories.
To test the hypothesis, an approach to treating depression is proposed that consists of adapted cold showers (20 °C, 2–3 min, preceded by a 5-min gradual adaptation to make the procedure less shocking) performed once or twice daily. The proposed duration of treatment is several weeks to several months.
Boosts Metabolism and Weight Loss
Regular cold showers stimulate the production of brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat by burning calories. Over time, this can aid in weight management and potentially support weight loss efforts when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
What hand washing water temperature is needed to remove pathogens? Both hot or cold water can be used for handwashing. Scientists have found that varying water temperature had no effect on pathogen reduction. That being said, most people prefer warm water over cold.
130° F—140° F (55° C–60° C) Yeast cells die (thermal death point).
Fact: Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus (staph) and Bacillus cereus, produce toxins not destroyed by high cooking temperatures. Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours in a refrigerator temperature of 40 degrees or below. Myth: Freezing foods kills harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.