Why hot showers are bad for you?

Hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling — similar to a sunburn. They also can disrupt the skin's natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats, and proteins that keep skin healthy.

Benefits of taking a cold shower include:

Adam Friedman, MD, says if you have itchy skin or skin conditions that cause you to itch, cold showers can help you overcome the sensation to scratch.

When that cold spray hits your body, there’s a bit of shock. This shock increases:

Increased circulation is one of the top reasons experts recommend cold showers.

As cold water hits your body and external limbs, it constricts circulation on the surface of your body. This causes blood in your deeper tissues to circulate at faster rates to maintain ideal body temperature.

In that sense, a cold shower has the opposite effect of a hot shower for someone with hypertension or cardiovascular disease, since exposure to cold temperatures triggers the circulatory system to reduce inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Since cold water has regenerative properties, your muscles will relax and repair after a tough workout.

Some fat cells, such as brown fat, can generate heat by burning fat. They do this when your body is exposed to cold conditions like in a shower.

Gerrit Keferstein, MD, says these cells are mostly situated around the neck and shoulder area. So, perfect for showers!

Though scientific research is limited regarding the effect cold water has on your skin and hair, anecdotal evidence points to positive effects.

Wellness expert Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer, MD, says that cold water tightens and constricts the blood flow which gives your skin a healthier glow.

According to an article published on the website NaturallyCurly.com, cold water closes and strengthens your hair cuticles.

Also, cold water, unlike hot water, doesn’t dry out the sebum layer, a naturally lubricated barrier that provides protection for your skin and hair.

As a result of the effects of cold water, your hair may be more likely to become stronger and healthier over time.

For many, nothing is more relaxing than a long, hot shower or soothing soak in the tub. It can relieve stress, induce sleep, and help clear nasal congestion.

During the winter months, many people enjoy taking a soak or shower in hot water to warm up and shake off the chill. Although tub time may feel like a luxury, it can wreak havoc on your skin by drying it out if done too often or if the water is too hot.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and is made up of three layers called the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis that:

Hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling — similar to a sunburn.  They also can disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats, and proteins that keep skin healthy. Dry skin can increase your chances of infection and actually lead to an overproduction of oils in an effort to compensate for the lack of moisture.

Help keep your skin healthy by following these few simple steps from Nick Woltjen, MPAS, PA-C, UPMC Department of Dermatology, when bathing:

Frequent hot showers and baths can lead to dry, itchy skin or even rashes. Cooler or lukewarm showers even just a few times a week can keep skin hydrated and help hair stay strong and shiny. If your skin appears red following your bath or shower, your water is too hot.

Spending less time in the tub not only benefits your skin, but you’ll decrease the amount of water wasted, too. Step out of the tub before your skin appears wrinkled like a prune. Depending on factors such as your daily activity level, profession, or season, you might even be able to skip a full daily shower here and there.

Skin, just like the rest of the body, needs water to function properly. Experts believe a shower should only last about 5 to 10 minutes. Any longer and the hot water may strip away the natural oils of the skin and leave the pores open for moisture to escape.

Soap is drying to the skin, stripping away the natural oil barrier, and many are filled with chemicals that are applied directly to your body before washing away into our water supply. Instead, try a mild, fragrance-free, non-soap cleanser (you won’t see lots of lather as with soaps) or moisturizing shower gel or oil.

Pat yourself dry and apply an unscented lotion, cream, or oil to your still-damp skin. This will help lock in moisture. For most people, a light, water-based moisturizer is adequate. Noncomedogenic products won’t clog your pores; while ingredients such as aloe, oatmeal, and chamomile offer soothing qualities. Also, consider a product that contains ceramides. Ceramides help protect and retain the needed moisture for your skin.

Experiment with different bathing routines until you find one that makes your skin look and feel healthy. Skin can be easily affected by changes in products, weather, and hormones. If you have dry itchy skin or a rash in that won’t heal, you should contact a dermatologist.

Contact a dermatologist if you’re having trouble finding a skincare regimen that works for you. They can assess your skin and recommend a skin care plan specifically for you. Schedule an appointment with the dermatology experts at UPMC or visit the website online for more information on services and skin conditions.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 28, 2015, and was last reviewed on May 24, 2022.

Benefits of taking a cold shower include:

Adam Friedman, MD, says if you have itchy skin or skin conditions that cause you to itch, cold showers can help you overcome the sensation to scratch.

When that cold spray hits your body, there’s a bit of shock. This shock increases:

Increased circulation is one of the top reasons experts recommend cold showers.

As cold water hits your body and external limbs, it constricts circulation on the surface of your body. This causes blood in your deeper tissues to circulate at faster rates to maintain ideal body temperature.

In that sense, a cold shower has the opposite effect of a hot shower for someone with hypertension or cardiovascular disease, since exposure to cold temperatures triggers the circulatory system to reduce inflammation and can help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Since cold water has regenerative properties, your muscles will relax and repair after a tough workout.

Some fat cells, such as brown fat, can generate heat by burning fat. They do this when your body is exposed to cold conditions like in a shower.

Gerrit Keferstein, MD, says these cells are mostly situated around the neck and shoulder area. So, perfect for showers!

Though scientific research is limited regarding the effect cold water has on your skin and hair, anecdotal evidence points to positive effects.

Wellness expert Dr. Jacqueline Schaffer, MD, says that cold water tightens and constricts the blood flow which gives your skin a healthier glow.

According to an article published on the website NaturallyCurly.com, cold water closes and strengthens your hair cuticles.

Also, cold water, unlike hot water, doesn’t dry out the sebum layer, a naturally lubricated barrier that provides protection for your skin and hair.

As a result of the effects of cold water, your hair may be more likely to become stronger and healthier over time.

If you’re convinced a cold shower is totally out of the question, you might want to rethink your philosophy. Unlike the long list of benefits that come with taking a cold shower, the list of cons is surprisingly quite short.

Skipping hot showers altogether is the best solution skin wise, but we know how hard that can be to do. Let’s explore the different ways hot showers may or may not be harmful to your overall skin health.

Long, hot showers can combat the skin’s natural functions as a protective barrier and deplete natural oils from the surface while also stripping hair of its own protective oils and weaken your complexion altogether. Hot showers adversely affect the skin’s most outer layer, the epidermis, full of substances that provide a tough defense against outside conditions while retaining moisture.

Heat from hot water combined with soap will soften your skin and slowly strip away its natural, oily protective barriers. Some of this can good like removing dirt, sweat, or body odor. However, we want to keep in the skin’s natural moisture where possible and prevent dry or irritated, itchy skin.

Hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling — similar to a sunburn.  They also can disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats, and proteins that keep skin healthy. Dry skin can increase your chances of infection and actually lead to an overproduction of oils in an effort to compensate for the lack of moisture.Basically, the longer and hotter the shower, the worse it is for your skin’s health

You may think hot baths may be less scalding or hurtful but soaking in a tub of hot water can be even worse than a hot shower. To prevent extra dryness from a bath, some doctors suggest adding a few spoonfuls of oil (olive, almond, or grape seed to combat some of the dryness.) Metrin’s #1 Deep Cleanser is great to add into your bath, as it contains cold pressed high oleic sunflower seed oil.

Gentle cleansers can also help protect your skin’s natural moisture barrier to offset exposure to hot water. Our #1 Deep Cleanser is perfect for gently cleansing your skin, while protecting your skin’s barrier.

It’s important to follow up your bathing, however you do it, with regular moisturizing to keep your skin from drying. Moisturizing right after a shower can act as a temporary replacement to your skin’s natural oils and keep moisture in. The longer you wait to apply moisturizer, the more moisture will escape.

Colder showers have been known to have certain benefits to the skin. The water doesn’t have to be particularly cold either. Lukewarm or tepid water under 110° F (or 43° C) is recommended. It will also help keep your energy bill lower.

Aside from easing your energy costs, cold showers can shock your body awake as the change in temperature relieves the body of any fatigue and increases mental alertness. They are also better for your hair, skin, hydration, and help split ends, dry skin, and in some cases can be used to treat depression.

Like anything, balance and everyday maintenance is essential. Just as a we advocate for daily skin care to maintain your skin’s health and upkeep, other everyday cleaning methods like washing, bathing, and showering should be considered.

Try to keep your showers as short as possible, 10 minutes at most. When you do shower, make sure to cleanse and only use soap in essential areas like the underarms, groin, or feet to prevent dryness in other, more sensitive areas. When you can, make sure to try and avoid constant exposure to hot water on your skin for extended amounts of time. What’s most important is gentle care and daily washing or cleansing of your skin to make sure its at its best alongside a skin care routine. While keeping shower temperatures moderate can help your skin retain its healthy level of natural oils, gently exfoliating your skin when taking a shower or bathing will also help your skin better maintain its moisture barrier, keep it smoother, and more resilient. While we may be focusing on bathing and showering here, the same goes for hot water use outside the tub or shower. Make sure to limit hot water use on the skin when doing your facial skin care cleansing in the bathroom sink. Remember, the bottom line is that long, hot showers dry out the skin despite how good they might feel. It can also exacerbate skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema or atopic dermatitis. We want to keep as much of the skin’s natural functions working their best, so it’s best to avoid those hot showers when you can.

While controlling temperature and duration of hot showers, hydrating the skin is one thing, but what is the best way to maintain the skin’s ability to retain its natural oils and its resiliency? While double cleansing  the entire body can be time consuming, it’s the best way to cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin. This method of cleansing reduces stress on the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin, while cleansing thoroughly. The gentle exfoliation, when done on a daily, incremental basis, is not only gentle on the skin, but gentle exfoliation actually helps the remove dead skin cells, thereby promoting skin renewal, and in doing so, helping to improve the barrier function of the skin.

The less dead skin cells you have on your skin, like taking away fins on a heating radiator, the skin surface area where moisture loss can occur gets reduced.  And, the cleansed and gently exfoliated skin is more efficient receiving hydration (due to reduced barrier of dead skin cells on the skin). It’s a waste to hydrate dead skin cells.  But hydrating the skin after cleansing isn’t enough. Once the skin is clean and gently exfoliated, the skin should not only be hydrated but also nourished and protected. Using skin care products (like Metrin’s #4 Protective Lotion and #5 Enriched Vita Conditioner ) that contain nourishing sunflower seed oil and aloe vera with abundance of Vitamin E, Vitamin C , essential fatty acids (helps restore oil back to the skin), amino acids with high antioxidant properties not only nourishes the skin but also protects the skin by aiding in its resilience against and recovery from dryness, infections, and aging.