Should you take hot or cold showers?

Do you just feel like having an ice cold shower after a long day, exposed to the hot sun and sweating your butt off because you're always bound to sweat in Malaysia? Or do you just feel like taking a nice warm shower during a cold rainy night?

So that begs the question, a re you a hot shower person or a cold shower person? We shiver to think of showering in cold water early in the morning. But when it’s a hot, sweltering day, nothing sounds better than a cold and refreshing shower. Showers are not only cleaning and cleansing, they could also help promote different bodily functions that varies on the temperature.

Here’s how your body naturally reacts to hot and cold showers.



HOT SHOWERS
There is nothing like a warm shower at the end of a long day to rejuvenate the soul. Here’s how your body reacts to hot showers:

Relieves Sore Muscles: Hot showers can bring the same effect of a hot pack over your sore muscles. They can help to relieve sore muscles, muscle tension and knots. One can expect an increase in their body's blood circulation that can considerably ease pain, stimulate healing and reduce inflammation.

Clears Sinuses: Having blocked nose?Inhaling steam from hot showers can act as a natural decongestant to relieve cold symptoms as hot steam moisturises the nasal passage.

Get Better Skin: Showering in hot water helps in opening the pores of your skin and therefore help in softening the pores and making them healthy. Actually most people recommend taking hot showers to open the pores of the body, to cleanse the skin and unclog pores – similar to the function of steaming or a hot towel before a facial.




COLD SHOWERS
The thought of a cold shower early in the morning is enough to send shivers (pun intended) to most people and hence probably making it hard to get out of bed. But in fact, cold showers actually prepares you better to face the day ahead.

Better Skin and Hair: Actually, when it comes to pores, cold water has the opposite effect of hot water as cold water closes the pores or scalp and tightens them. Having cold showers helps lock in your skin's moisture and also prevents dirt from getting in. Furthermore, cold water tightens the scalp which eventually increases the capacity of the hair follicles to grip the scalp and thus making stronger hair.

Boosts Immunity and Circulation: Instead of benefiting your skin, cold showers also helps in boosting blood circulation. This is because when cold water touches the skin, our blood vessels constrict and circulation focuses on the vital organs.

Speeds Up Muscle Recovery: Sportsmen who immerse themselves in ice baths believe it helps to minimise inflammation and promotes faster muscle recovery. Just like how an ice pack helps to constrict blood vessels and numbs nerve endings, a cold shower could provide that temporary pain relief.




HOT OR COLD?
Ok now the question goes down to which one? As we discussed that both kinds of showers deliver its own set of unique benefits. No one's forcing anyone here, stick to your preferred temperature if you wanna but there are certain instances where one would be better than the other. Here are a few situations that may help you in your decision making;

Having trouble sleeping? Hop into a warm/hot shower.
Taking a warm shower or bath at night not only helps you relax, but also adjusts the temperature of your body. So when you get into a cooler bedroom after coming out of a hot/warm shower, your body starts to signal that it's time to rest. This is because your body temperature, heart rate and breathing drops.

Don’t irritate acne with hot showers!
Sure, hot showers help to unblock pores but at the same time it can also aggravate acne problems. Acne appears when there is an excess of sebum (oil) on the skin. The removal also triggers the body to produce more sebum after the shower although a hot shower removes sebum. If you suffer from acne, it is advisable to take cold showers to help control the production of sebum and prevent new breakouts.

Relieve cramps with a warm shower
There is nothing harmful about taking cold showers when menstruating however taking a warm shower is better in relaxing the muscles, thereby alleviating cramps – just like how using a hot pack helps.

Hot & cold after a workout
While both professionals and amateur athletes in Malaysia freeze their butts in ice baths after a workout to help muscles recover faster, you could also try alternating between hot and cold showers. This method actually helps to encourage better blood circulation and detoxification.