A hot shower can often be soothing after a tiring work day. Or, in today’s heat waves, a cold shower can bring you back to yourself. As with everything that people do in their daily lives, science has studied this topic, trying to answer the question of whether a hot or cold shower is better for our bodies.
Advantages of a hot shower
For most people, the preferred shower option will be hot. When it comes to showering, most of us prefer water to average between 40 and 41 degrees Celsius, according to an analysis presented at the International Joint Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis and Information and Control in the Water Industry in 2018.
This preference shows the relaxing effect of a hot shower. A hot shower can make it easier for us to sleep while reducing body tension and fatigue. Hot water also increases blood circulation. Studies show that standing in hot water widens blood vessels and improves atherosclerosis.
Disadvantages of hot shower
However, hot showers also have disadvantages. Among these disadvantages are the drying of the skin due to the loss of its natural oils, itching and eventually the development of eczema. Similarly, hair that is stripped of its natural oils becomes drier.
Perhaps more importantly, lowering blood pressure can also have the opposite effect. CIC Centers interventional cardiologist Hassan Makki “I’ve heard a similar story at least a dozen times; “Someone is taking a hot shower, gets dizzy and wakes up in a pool of blood from a head injury.” Makki says this event is called vasovagal syncope, and a hot shower is the best place for it.
Advantages of cold shower
Cold showers also have their own advantages. Although doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries recommended cold shower treatment for almost every condition they described as “crazy”, there is no evidence of this. But several different studies show that cold showers can have an immune-boosting effect. The mechanism of this effect has not been fully resolved yet, but it is thought to be related to the sympathetic nervous system, which actively activates our reflexes with cold water. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase in cold water.
Our blood circulation increases in cold water, but unlike hot water, it is not directly affected by water. Instead, this increase is thought to occur when the body works harder to rewarm itself and increases blood flow to the skin.
This additional work also means additional calorie loss. Really cold water, which can go down to 14 degrees, is known to increase metabolism by a factor of 4.5, supporting the suggestion that cold showers can aid weight loss.
Finally, cold water also has mental benefits. Cold water applied to the face and neck is thought to improve brain function, especially in older adults. It is also said to help reduce symptoms of depression.
Disadvantages of cold shower
Of course, a very cold shower also has its dangers. As many doctors can tell you, swimming in extremely cold water can cause the body to go into shock and many different and dangerous events, including a heart attack.
But which one?
In short, unfortunately, there is no answer in favor of any of the extremes as to which temperature shower is better. That’s why experts recommend a “mixed shower”. As dermatologist Carl Thornfeldt tells The Healthy, “the best solution is to take a hot, lukewarm shower and then rinse with cold water for the last few seconds to reap the benefits of cold water as well.”
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