Is it good to take a shower with cold water? The benefits for body and mind (and some 'but')

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Beyond daily cleaning, in my house it is said that

in the morning it wakes you up and activates you to face the day.

At night it relaxes you and 'throws out' everything that has been able to stress us.

It is also said of the shower that it is a

that inflection point, also called the

like Archimedes, where inspiration runs wild.

To this phenomenon, which has so much to do with the shower, even experts have given it a name, '

(the three Bes), which respond to the English words 'Bed' (bed), 'Bath' (toilet) and 'Bus' (bus).

It turns out that all three of these scenarios are key to unlocking creativity.

Now I can explain why I always miss

If we leave aside the creative benefits of the shower, especially now that

another of the big questions arises, not without controversy many times, that surrounds this act of daily hygiene:

Showers with cold water: yes or no?

Lets start by the beginning.

A normal, perfect, manual shower has its requirements.

"It should not last more than

just enough to moisten the skin, lather it up and rinse it off. Abusing baths or very long showers dries out the skin," says Dr. Mayte Truchuelo, a dermatologist at the

(Spanish Group of Aesthetic and Therapeutic Dermatology) of the

Stopwatch in hand, the second million dollar question arrives:

"The temperature of the water must always be at bay. It should not be

The ideal

because excessively hot water deteriorates the skin barrier," Truchuelo emphasizes.

And, now that the heat is dangerously close and promises not to leave us for months, with which a cold shower seems like a very tempting idea, is cold

for the skin?

The direct consequence of cold water on the skin is that it induces vasoconstriction of the dermal vessels (which close), which may have

But if we talk about extreme temperatures, "they can produce

with the release of inflammatory molecules that may be involved in itching, dermatitis...", warns the doctor.

"Cold temperature is a physical stimulus that must be handled with care, because it can act as an irritant, especially on sensitive skin," says the dermatologist.

Sensitive and with pathologies, such as hives, cryoglobulinemia, perniosis (chilblains),

In these cases, they should always

For this reason,

would be, according to Truchuelo, that

ideal for a shower.

What are the benefits of a cold shower?

However, when it comes to cold showers, not everything is black and white.

That they can sensitize the already delicate skin is a fact that the dermatologist defends and argues, but beyond this, there are

for the body.

Because the cold, as the beautician

"activates blood circulation, combats the appearance of cellulite and varicose veins, is magnificent for improving the feeling of

and tired legs... Of course, as long as we know how to carry out these cold showers correctly and that they never exceed the time".

On the other hand,

the regenerative properties of cold water manage to repair, causing an

And the contrast between cold and hot water helps us to recover the muscle and improve the healing of injuries.

And that's where the well-known

which start with hot water (with a relax function) and end with cold water, which keep us

Navarro underlines.

The beautician also explains that the body reacts to the cold effect by

"What is scientifically known is that as soon as cold water comes into contact with our skin, it awakens infinite signals and our brain activates a kind of alarm system, secreting

continues Carmen Navarro.

There is more, according to the expert: cold water applied to the body forces the body to generate heat to fight against the cold effect, accelerating metabolism and therefore increasing energy consumption (something that also occurs in

By increasing metabolism, the so-called

that our body accumulates to maintain the most appropriate body temperature is consumed or burned.

A good cold shower: when and how

If we decide to take a good cold shower, how should its characteristics be?

It is enough to take short showers of

"The studies that have been carried out in this regard ensure that this time and this temperature is sufficient. Better effects are not achieved by staying longer or lowering the degrees," says Carmen Navarro.

Solved the when, it is the turn of the how.

They are ideal after playing sports, due to the aforementioned effect on the muscles.

In terms of schedules,

a cold shower helps us to wake up on a muscular and cerebral level, while

we regulate body temperature and induce relaxation, although in these cases it is usually more pleasant to shower at room temperature. traditional, as Navarro tells.

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