A hot shower may be the only thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, but don’t all good things come with a catch? A heated bath has several adverse effects. That’s the snag! A nice, comfortable, hot bubble bath might be relaxing at times, but incorporating it into your routine should be avoided. Some side effects are physically evident, while others cause harm inside.

Hot shower affects fertility

According to one of the studies provided by experts, taking a hot water bath for more than 30 minutes might impair one’s ability to reproduce. Doctors urge those who are having reproductive problems to take a cold water bath. A jacuzzi bath is an absolute no-no.

According to some scientific journals, males who had hot showers every day had a decreased rate of fertility. In hot conditions, the testis does not generate as much sperm. Sperm cells, for example, tend to thrive at temperatures lower than body temperature and indulging in a cold, refreshing bath encourages the same. 

Hot water can cause dry and itchy skin

All of us love a warm hug and that’s exactly how a hot shower feels like but if you have sensitive skin, consider shifting to cold showers regularly. It may cause rashes and allergies in people with dry and sensitive skin. The hot water damages the keratin cells on our skin’s most outer layer, the epidermis. Dry skin is caused by disturbing these cells, which inhibits the cells from locking in moisture.

A Hot shower worsens skin conditions

People often complain about derm conditions after a relaxing bath but conveniently forget about the main culprit- hot water. The steam and warmth touching the skin do more harm than good especially when a person has prior skin diseases/infections. 

Higher temperatures make it easier for the skin to dry out and worsen conditions like eczema. Hot showers can cause you to itch. Dr Friedman (dermatologist) says the heat can cause mast cells (which contain histamine- which triggers allergic reactions) to release their contents in the skin and cause itching.

Hot water baths can lower blood pressure

“The high temperatures in a warm tub or sauna cause your blood vessels to dilate, which lowers blood pressure,” explains Dr Adolph Hutter, a Harvard Medical School professor of medicine. The amount of blood your heart pumps will also increase, particularly in a hot tub. High blood pressure patients should be mindful of their water temperature while taking a bath, this will keep them healthy and divert problems related to their health conditions.

A hot shower dries out the scalp

The most neglected part of the body while taking a bath is the scalp. We often treat it harshly and incorrectly. The baby steps towards a healthy scalp would include tweaking our water temperature to cold showers. 

Warm water may have a detrimental influence on your hair cuticles. Keratin-containing cells make up your hair which prevents the hair from weakening or breaking. High temperatures damage the keratin leading to baldness. If you prefer warm water, you may prevent this by keeping it lukewarm for your scalp and hair.

So, should you keep it hot or cold?

Hot showers during winter are inevitable, but lowering the temperate by a little would work wonders too! Lukewarm water baths are as good and calming as hot ones. 

Dermatologists suggest switching between hot and cold water while bathing. Standing below cold water has proven to be beneficial for scalp and hair health. After a good one minute, you can switch to hot water practising the technique popularly known as Contrast Shower. 

Next time when you hop into a shower you know exactly what to do!