Are There Benefits to Taking Cold Showers?
Key takeaways:
Cold showers may relieve itchy skin and aid in muscle recovery.
Taking a cold shower is thought to increase endorphins.
Both cold and hot showers are fine choices. Deciding between the two will depend on the benefits you want.
Taking a cold shower in the morning can be a pretty unpleasant way to start the day. It’s one of the last things most people crave, but is there a reason to do it anyway?
When it comes to your skin and muscles, cold showers may have unseen benefits. So the question is, should you jump in a cold shower? Keep reading to find out the pros and cons of cold showers.
What do cold showers do to your body?
Exposure to cold water has been used for decades as a health remedy. Even Hippocrates believed that swimming in cold water could help with fatigue.
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But it’s also unpleasant. There’s a reason you cringe when cold water hits you. It’s because your system goes into overdrive.
What does this look like? When your skin is exposed to cold water temperatures, blood flow to your skin decreases. This happens because the cold water shocks your body, causing your system to work to regulate and maintain constant deep tissue temperature. Think of it as your body’s way of protecting vital organs by moving the body’s blood flow to warm your core.
What are the benefits and risks of cold showers?
So if hot showers are helpful, what’s the point of taking cold showers? It’s difficult to say for sure, as most of the studies done on the benefits of cold water involve immersion therapy (submerging entirely into cold water). It’s hard to know if these benefits translate to taking cold showers. That being said, let’s dive into the science on cold water and how it may be helpful.
Muscle relief: Coldwater immersion for 10 minutes can decrease the perception of muscle soreness the day after exercise. But it’s unclear how a shower specifically helps with muscle soreness.
Mood improvement: One small study found that taking a 2- to 3-minute cold shower once or twice per day helped people with symptoms of depression. It’s worth noting that these people stood under warm to cool water for 5 minutes before the cold water.
Feeling more alert: If you’ve ever taken a cold shower, you probably noticed that it made you more alert. This may be because cold water can increase cortisol levels, and cortisol is associated with alertness. Warm showers, on the other hand, may improve sleep.
Skin relief: If you experience itchy, dry skin, cold water, in general, could be better than hot water. Hot showers, unlike cold ones, can worsen dry skin by stripping its natural oils.
Feeling less sick: One study found that after 30 consecutive days, people who took hot-to-cold showers were less likely to feel sick than those who took hot showers.
Improved brain function: A very small study in older adults showed that cold water applied to the face and neck improved markers of brain function. Again, the setup was not the same as when you take a cold shower, so it’s unclear how the benefits would translate.
Keep in mind that, regardless of possible benefits, cold showers are not a cure for any health problems. If you’re experiencing any health issues, the best thing to do is talk to your healthcare provider.
Are there any risks of taking cold showers?
You know cold water can be hard on your body and shock your system. And while this can provide benefits for some people, it can be dangerous for others. People with chronic health conditions, especially cardiovascular conditions, should avoid cold water immersion, as the shock could trigger a cardiac event like heart attack or heart rhythm irregularities.
It’s not clear, however, if the same risk applies to showers. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine if cold showers could be helpful or harmful for you.
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The bottom line
Taking a cold shower may have some health benefits, such as relieving itchy skin. However, the shock to your system can be taxing and unpleasant. If you enjoy warm showers, there’s likely not a reason to switch to a cold one. It’s important to avoid taking extremely cold or extremely hot showers. Extremely cold showers could shock your system, and extremely hot ones can damage your skin.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Academy of Dermatology. (n.d.). Dry skin: Tips for managing.
Buijze, G. A., et al. (2016). The effect of cold showering on health and work: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS ONE.
Doering, T. J., et al. (1999). Changes of laboratory markers of cognitive brain function by thermostimuli in the elderly. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Knechtle, B., et al. (2020). Cold water swimming—benefits and risks: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Pacheco, D. (2022). Showering before bed. Sleep Foundation.
Shevchuk, N. A. (2008). Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression. Medical Hypotheses.
Tipton, M. J., et al. (2017), Cold water immersion: Kill or cure?. Experimental Physiology.
Yeung, S. S., et al. (2016). Effects of cold water immersion on muscle oxygenation during repeated bouts of fatiguing exercise, a randomized control study. Medicine.
