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HEALTH

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The great shower debate


Is there any difference between cold showers and hot showers, or long showers and short showers, that would affect my health or improve it?

So you wanna know what’s the diff between long showers, short showers, cold showers and long ones? Well, contrary to popular belief there are actually good and bad things about all of these!

Long showers vs. short showers:

Long showers aren’t necessarily bad for your health and can even make you feel rejuvenated after a long day. However, long showers aren’t great for your skin (or the environment). Our bodies produce natural oils that hold in moisture. The longer you shower, the more you strip your body of its natural moisture. For women of color, that results in “ashy” skin—basically, skin that’s dried out and flakey. A 10-minute shower is considered to be the happy medium. It’s just enough to get rid of dirt and BO, and give your cleansers time to work.

Hot showers vs. cold showers:

I LOVE a pipin’ hot shower. Hot water heats you up on cold mornings, eases muscle aches, opens up your airways and nasal passages and soothes away stress. But don’t count out cold showers! Cold showers have some pros, too. If you’re sluggish in the morning, a cold shower might be the jolt you need. Docs say keeping your showers at a lukewarm 68 degrees is your best bet: It’s good for your hair, your skin and your soul. Who knew?

We want to hear from you! Send us your weirdest body questions here (seriously, we'll answer anything!) and it just might get featured.

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by Afiya Augustine | 2/1/2016
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