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Sean Glover, beloved Scroll journalist, presents an argument about what type of shower has the best benefits, regarding the temperature of the water, and the amount of time spent in the shower itself.
Hollywood showers
Hollywood showers
Written by Sean Glover
Admit it. We all like to take super long showers-- the scalding heat of the water running down our backs and the blaring music clashing with the white noise of the water hitting the floor makes us feel like we have escaped from the world for a split second, and that nothing matters while time freezes for us. Or… that could just be me. However, the benefits that we obtain from our hot-shower bliss may be a laughing matter to those select few who enjoy cold showers that make them feel like Otter Pops in an ice bucket. On this fine day of winter, I will present the information I have retained from my sources, and I will proceed to deem which temperature of shower is superior and why those benefits may improve our health more in the long run.
Let's start with the well-loved candidate, the showers that fall on the warm side. These hot, soothing showers are best for when you’ve had a long day and you need to relax in the evening with something that clears your sinuses and relieves tension from your shoulders. I may be biased towards this one, because I take such hot showers that the steam creates the environment of a sauna in under five minutes. Healthline.com and Medicalnewstoday.com both provide a list of the benefits from taking showers where the temperature is like burning magma. Here are a few:
Provides relief from respiratory symptoms
Helps with blemishes
Helps with muscle relaxation
Opens airways
Improves sleep
Improves blood flow to joints and muscles
Some of these benefits may be short-term, and you have experienced these yourself, or they may be long-term, and the benefits they provide will be slower and not as noticeable of a change. “But what about the cons of hot showers?” you may be asking, because you’re probably having an argument with your friend about how cold showers are somehow superior-- and you’re definitely losing. Well, here are some these sources have provided as well:
They can dry out your skin and worsen conditions like eczema
They can raise your blood pressure
They can cause itching (which falls within the eczema category)
Now that we have looked at the pros and cons of hot showers, I must say: is it getting hot in here, or is it just me-- because it looks like the hot showers are taking the lead right now. However, before I get ahead of myself too much, cold showers also have their benefits. Taking showers with the temperature on the lower end is recommended for those who take them post-workout, since the cold water reduces the soreness of the inflamed muscles. Let's check out the list Healthline has provided:
Wakes you up
Calms itchy skin
Increases blood circulation
Reduces muscle soreness (post-workout)
Lowers levels of cortisol (stress hormone)
Potentially boosts weight loss
Wow, thanks Healthline. Maybe if I actually cared about my weight, hair, and skin, maybe these showers that basically make me feel like a Dairy Queen Blizzard would be good for me. “Now tell me,” those of you who are intellectuals must be thinking right now, “what are the cons of cold showers?” Well, you’re in luck, because our trusty sources have provided them right here:
If you are sick, they could have a bad effect on your immune system
If you are already cold and have a lower body temperature, it will decrease it even further.
Well then, it looks like cold showers pull through. To my surprise, cold showers relieve most of the pain that could potentially be caused by hot showers and have very little downsides of their own. I’ll let you cold-shower people off the hook just this once, but have fun feeling like you’re always on the tip of Mt. Everest.
So, we’ve looked at both the pros and cons that hot showers and cold showers bring to the table. Or… the bathtub. Although, the amount of time you spend in the shower may also have a lasting effect as well, and that might be the reason why I take twenty minute showers when I haven’t had that great of a day. Healthline, in a separate article, states the effects of long, Hollywood showers, and what amount of time may be recommended to have the soothing water pelt your back:
If you engage in sports or vigorous activity throughout the day, you should clean yourself more than once.
If you can’t decide between a warm or cold shower, stick with a lukewarm in-between (As if I’d ever do that)
Between 5 to 10 minutes is enough to clean your body thoroughly.
Short showers (3-5 minutes) may not cleanse the skin enough.
Long showers (10-15+ minutes) may over-wash your skin and cause dryness.
Well, if you are boring and take five to ten-minute showers at a lukewarm temperature, I declare you the winner. While taking a cold shower early in the morning will circulate your blood flow and wake you up for the day, and a hot shower in the evening will improve your sleep and open up your sinuses, it seems as if the healthy option for someone who just wants to simply clean their body and enjoy their day without smelling like a pig trough is a shower with no complications regarding time or temperature.
Nobody won today, and that’s okay. There’s no need to judge each other based on the temperature we take our showers or how long we stay, even though I just did multiple times throughout this article. What’s important is that we love each other, and discriminate against those who solely take baths instead of showers. Thank you for engaging in this odd discussion, Scroll readers, and if you have the chance, fill out the poll below, so we can truly see which type of shower dominates the population.
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