When the weather gets hot, many people quickly take a cold shower to feel better or relaxed. It may feel nice for a few minutes, but it doesn’t always help your body cool down and sometime, it can even have the opposite effect.
Our body works best at about 37C, if the temperature inside starts to rise, the brain tells the body to act. It widens the blood vessels near the skin and starts cooling process. This way, heat from inside the body moves to the skin’s surface and escapes into the air.
We lose heat in several ways, most of it about 60 percent radiates into the surrounding air. Around 22 percent is lost through sweating. When the air is hotter than our body, sweating becomes the main way to cool down. Heat also escapes through convection (to the air or water around us) and conduction (to solid objects we touch).
Cold water changes this process. The moment cold water hits the skin, the blood vessels narrow, reducing, blood flow to the surface. This traps heat inside the body instead of letting it escape. In very cold water, around 15C, the “cold shock” response can raise blood pressure and even cause irregular heartbeat in people with heart conditions.
On a hot day, the safest and most helpful choice is a lukewarm shower, about 26- 28C. This temperature lets your flow blood flow smoothly to the skin without making your body try hold on to heat.
Lukewarm water also clean better than cold water, it softens sweat, oil and dirt so they wash away easily. This help reduce body oder and stops skins breakout. Cold water can make your skin tighten, which can trap oil and dirt inside your pores.
If you like cooler water, don’t shock your body. Lower the temperature slowly, or begin by wetting your arms and legs before your whole body. This gives your body time to adjust.