Cold Shower Vs. Hot Shower

On a hot summer day all you want to do is have a cold, cold shower and when the winter makes way, the prospect of taking a steaming hot shower is definitely quite appealing.

While most of us follow this phenomenon of switching over to different temperatures of water according to how the weather is or how one is feeling, it is said that a cold shower is a much healthier choice to make. Is that true? And if so, how and why?

To understand this factor in totality and to reach a consensus of the same, there needs to be a proper analysis done of the cold shower vs hot shower factor. Only then will one be able to deduce whether the benefits that are lent by a cold shower are more than a hot shower.

There are many advantages to taking a hot shower, and I mean other than the fact that having streams and jets of hot water traveling down your body makes you feel so, so good. Here are the main advantages that a hot shower has to offer.

Chest Congestion and Respiratory Problems
A hot shower will help to clear out nasal blocks, chest congestion, and other respiratory problems. The hot steam, especially if mixed with eucalyptus or any other essential oil, has the capacity to soften the mucus and help get it out.

Sore Muscles
A hot shower helps to relieve sore muscles instantly. It acts as a hot pack over the painful areas and helps to relieve the tension and knots. It also helps to increase the circulation in the body and thereby makes you more healthy.

Sleep-inducing
A hot shower will help to ebb away the stress and tension and calm your frazzled nerves. It brings the heart rate to a slow pace and therefore leads to calm and peace. That is the reason why that hot showers are known to induce sleep.

Skin Care
Hot showers help to open out the pores of the skin and therefore help in softening it and making it healthy. It is usually recommended that one takes a hot shower to open the pores of the body such that moisturizing becomes more effective. This also lends to deep cleansing because the clogged pores are open.

Increases Libido
Hot water over the body can have a very sensuous effect on a person. It has been seen that an aromatic hot shower can increase the libido of a person tremendously.

While there are some advantages that a hot shower offers, there are also some disadvantages. Here are some of them:

Affects Cardiovascular System
For people suffering from any cardiovascular diseases, a hot shower can prove to be very detrimental. It has been found that a hot shower can lead to hypertension, arrhythmia, and other problems.

Depresses Physiological Systems
It has been studied that a hot shower can increase the heat in the body (and therefore the acidity level) and bring the varied physiological systems of the body down. Therefore, there is a compromise in the health.

Effects on Skin and Hair
A hot shower will open out the pores and if they aren't closed, they can attract dirt and dust to enter the body and cause acne. Along with that, having a hot shower can lead to making the hair very brittle and weak. Thus the hair can break very easily.

Ayurveda, the ancient science of India, strongly urges the usage of cold showers in place of hot showers. Over the years, the benefits of cold showers have been duly found and studied. Here are some of the benefits of the same.

Improves Circulation
Cold water improves circulation in the body by taking the blood to your organs. And in that way it is different from a hot shower, because a hot shower will rush the blood merely to the skin. A good circulation helps to combat several problems of the skin and heart and allows for overall health.

A cold shower will bring the temperature of the body down and therefore help combat the heat.

Heart Health
Since there is improved circulation, the blood is reached throughout the body and the arteries pump out the blood better, thus increasing heart health. This helps to keep the heart health in great condition. It lowers the blood pressure, clears blocked arteries, and helps to stabilize the circulatory system as well. 

As a result, it improves the immune system in the body.

Skin and Hair
Cold water allows to close the pores on the skin and scalp and thereby prevents the dirt from getting in and leads to effective skin care. It increases the capacity of the hair follicles to grip the scalp and thereby makes the hair stronger, cleaner and shinier, and leads to healthy hair. 

It also soothes sunburned and inflamed skin, thereby providing relief.

Cleanses the Body
Not only does a cold shower lead to cleansing the external body of dirt and grime, but it also cleanses the internal organs. This it does by contracting all the muscles, which then leads to the elimination of all the toxins and wastes.

There aren't many negative effects of cold showers. The only instance when cold showers are not recommended is when a woman is menstruating. This is because, her system is already weakened and under duress. At such a time, the organs and muscles need to be relaxed.

Even though it might not be possible to switch over to a cold shower completely, it has been seen that alternating between a cold and hot shower or finishing the bath with a cold shower also helps remarkably to provide all the benefits that have been mentioned here.