Should You Have A Hot Or Cold Shower During A Heatwave?

We will be under a heat warning for the next couple of days and keeping cool will be a priority! 

During a heatwave, a cold shower sounds amazing, but experts actually warn against this.

Here are some tips on how to have the perfect heatwave shower.

Avoid Extremes

Very cold or very hot showers affect the body’s heat signals. Experts say that having a hot shower make the body hotter.

However, having a cold shower is also counterproductive, as it tricks the body into thinking it’s cold – therefore doesn’t need to activate the cooling mechanism, otherwise known as sweat.

Cold showers also impact the blood flow to the skin. 

During cold showers, heat is retained in the body. So in the short term, a cold shower might cool the body – but once you step out, you will feel even hotter than before the cold shower.

So, rather than having an extreme shower, try having a lukewarm or cool shower. 

‘It’s always recommended to have a lukewarm shower, rather than indulging in a cold one.’

Lukewarm is the way to go and go slow!

Towards the end of the shower, experts also suggest turning the heat down gradually, in ten-second intervals, to acclimatize and cool the body down. 

Waiting for a few seconds between changing temperatures will help to decrease the overall body temperature and keep you cool.

Post-Shower

After your shower, get dressed in a cooler room – to avoid sweating straight out of the shower. But be sure to air out the bathroom and open the windows after showering – to reduce the steam and get rid of the humid air. 

And when drying off make sure to dab yourself gently. ‘Rubbing too hard with a towel can cause friction and will increase body heat which worsens sweating but also can cause excessive dryness and irritation of the skin.’