This Is the Shower Temperature You Should Be Using
You might want to turn that nozzle down. (Photo: Shutterstock)
After a stressful day, it feels like there’s nothing more indulgent than a long, hot shower. But how hot is too hot?
The ideal shower temp for your skin doesn’t stray above lukewarm, says Sejal Shah, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. As soon as your shower starts scalding, you risk harming your skin’s health. There’s no absolute rule for how hot a shower should be, but most doctors advise keeping water below 110 degrees. If it feels at all uncomfortable or it your skin is turning red, it’s probably too hot.
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“Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils leading to dry, itchy skin and eventually eczema,” says Shah, who also warns that even super-long showers at lower temps can dry out your skin. “Similarly, hot water can strip the hair of its natural oils, causing it to be drier, and if you color your hair, it can cause the color to fade faster.”
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Besides the obvious topical effects of heat, very hot water can cause issues beneath the skin. Since it increases circulation, this can cause inflammatory cells to further exacerbate any dry or itchy skin that you’re already battling, says Shah.
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Extreme heat also causes a drop in blood pressure, which can lead to lightheadedness. Fainting in the shower? Talk about dangerous. But as for that myth you may have heard that taking hot showers can lead to cancer (due to chlorine in water supposedly being absorbed through the skin)? There’s absolutely no truth to this idea whatsoever, says Shah.
Hot water can help open up your pores, though, so if you want to take advantage of that, Shah advises keeping the hot water localized to to just your face. Instead, you can brew yourself a facial steam to save the rest of your bod from the too-hot temps.
More from Women’s Health:
How Long You Need to Stick with a Skin-Care Routine to Start Seeing Results
How to Stop Your Neck from Looking Saggy
