Cold Bath or Hot Bath, Which Is Better?

If a hot shower is what your body craves in the morning, you’re not alone. The majority of people crank the handle all the way up in order to feel the warm water all over their body.

But did you know that cold showers should also have a place in your daily routine?

That’s right — cold showers. The ones you dread to take when you’re the last person to get up in the morning. But if you give them a fair chance, you might find that you actually like how you feel after taking one.

Regardless of how you feel about either type of shower, research shows that both hot and cold showers have health benefits you should be aware of.

What’s so great about cold showers?

Benefits of taking a cold shower include:

• calming itchy skin
• waking you up
• increasing circulation
• reducing muscle soreness post-workout
• potentially boosting weight loss
• glowing hair and skin

The cons of cold showers:

• Cold showers might not be a good idea if you’re already cold, since the cooler temperature isn’t going to help warm you up by any means. It could actually make you even colder and increase the amount of time it will take for your body to warm back up.
• They may not be a good idea if you’re sick, either. Initially, the cold temperature might be too hard on your immune system, so it’s best to ease into the cooler temperatures.

Why do we like hot showers?

If you have trouble relaxing or falling asleep at night, you might be tempted to take a hot shower to ease the stress of the day.

This is a common practice for muscle relaxation before going to sleep because hot showers activate the parasympathetic nervous system which makes us tired, says Keferstein.

Other benefits of hot showers include:

• providing relief from respiratory symptoms
• helping with blemishes
• helping with muscle relaxation

The cons of hot showers include:

• Hot showers can dry out and irritate your skin. Schaffer says the hot water causes damage to the keratin cells that are located on the most outer layer of our skin — the epidermis. By disrupting these cells, it creates dry skin and prevents the cells from locking in moisture.
• They can also make certain skin conditions worse. Higher temperatures make it easier for the skin to dry out and worsen conditions like eczema.
• Hot showers can cause you to itch. Friedman says the heat can cause mast cells (which contain histamine) to release their contents in the skin and cause itching.
• They can increase your blood pressure, too. If you have problems with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, taking a shower that’s too hot can make these conditions worse.

Courtesy of Healthline