Are the cold shower benefits on mood, skin, hair, and energy legit?

I took one every morning for a week to find out.

I mean, these people cant be torturing themselves for no reason, right?!

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This, of course, is exactly what I set out to discover in my week-long experiment.

Did I hate every single second of it?

What does a cold shower do?

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board-certified dermatologist in New York City

But does the science back up these (very lofty) claims about cold shower benefits?

Youre not getting enough for the discomfort they bring.

Clearly, they found a good reason to keep coming back.

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How cold showers benefit your mood

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Benefits of cold showers for skin and hair

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Rinsing with cold water helps hair retain moisture

Your hair can also benefit from cold showers.

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The benefits to your hair and scalp cannot be understated, saysR+Codirector of content Adam Federico.

Cold water closes pores, as well as the cuticle layer of the hair.

How cold showers impact your body

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Black hair woman wearing a grey and white bra giving herself a deep cleansing session with a face brush and Gatineau skincare face wash lotion, after her shower. Studio skincare portrait over isolated background.

board-certified dermatologist in New York City

After meals, give a shot to wait at least an hour before heading into the shower.

Like swimming, showering canslow down digestionas blood is flowing to other parts of the body.

Cold showers benefit sore/injured muscles

You put an icepack on a strained muscle because it helps them heal.

A curvy woman applying cleansing balms and smiling to her reflection in the mirror.

you could do that for your entire body in a cold shower.

There are many…physical benefits of cold exposure, saysAndri Einarrson, a certified Wim Hof instructor.

For example, cold reduces inflammation, swelling, and sore muscles.

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What are the disadvantages of cold showers?

Additionally, cold showers are not advised if your body is already cold.

It can increase the amount of time that your body will take to warm back up.

Hot showers, however, also have way more drawbacks than cold showers.

Hot showers can be very damaging for the hair, explains Federico.

The heat can make your skin red and irritated.

It also dehydrates your skin, removing essential oils and moisture from its surface.

Im a huge wimp), there were a few notable benefits.

For starters, the quick cold infusion at the start of my day really helped to wake me up.

Wouldnt it be nice if all our problems could be solved with cold water?

Hot showers, however, also have way more drawbacks than cold showers.

Hot showers can be very damaging for the hair, explains Federico.

Dr. Green adds that Hot water can damage your skin and can worsen skin conditions such as eczema.

The heat can make your skin red and irritated.

It also dehydrates your skin, removing essential oils and moisture from its surface.

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