Especially during these cold winter months, the temptation may be too great. You hop out of bed, feet hitting the cold floor as you shiver your way to the shower to start your morning ablution, only to hit the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. You turn on the water and you want a long, hot, steaming shower to start the day.
Not so fast, Chilly Willy.
According to dermatologists, that hot blast could be the worst thing you could do to your skin. Hot showers, they say, disrupt the skin barrier of natural, protective lipids that keep your skin from getting dry, cracked and itchy. That barrier is especially important in the winter, they say, because so many of us spend time indoors where furnace heat make the atmosphere dry already.
During the winter, we’re also blasted by cold, dry wind when we spend time outside, which can also make skin susceptible to dryness.
As for your shower, there’s a difference between “hot” and “too hot.” If a shower leaves your skin red afterwards, it’s too hot. Keep showers functional, too, doctors advise. Wash and get out. The longer you stay, the more of that protective barrier you wash away.
Other “shower don’ts” experts advise against:
SHOWERING BEFORE BED
Sure, it may save you a few minutes in the morning, but don’t hop into bed straight from the shower. You should wait at least two hours after a hot shower before hopping into bed, according to experts. Hot showers raise your body temperature and wreaks havoc with natural triggers that help you fall asleep.
PEEING IN THE SHOWER
(Ladies, look away now.) Alright, guys. Show of hands: Hold them high if you’ve done it. If you’re like most guys, probably more than once, if not once a day. What’s the harm? Urine is sterile, right? Wrong, say doctors. Pee carries various bacteria and viruses that can be passed along to others, so if you’re tempted to relieve yourself at the communal gym shower, forget about it.
NEW-FANGLED SHOWERHEADS
Now for the factoid that will send you shrieking into the night: Almost a third of all showerheads contain potentially dangerous bacteria, according to a study from the University of Colorado-Boulder. You can clean them periodically, but bacteria will come back. That’s because the way they’re designed gives microbes and other detritus the perfect home between cleanings.
New, high-efficiency showerheads also aerosolize water, meaning those bacteria have an easier time finding it into your nasal cavities and lungs, making you sick. Experts suggest doing away with the fancy shower heads and going with a classic rain-type fixture or a simple single-stream model like granddad used.
WORKING WITHOUT A NET
Bath mats are for chicks and traction strips are for geezers, right? Wrong. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 200,000 accidental injuries occur in the bathroom each year, with about a fifth of them coming from slips. You might think they’re not sexy, but a nice mat, those traction strips or even grab bars just outside the shower are sexier than a full-body cast. As for that mat, it’s also important to wash it regularly, fella. Mildew isn’t sexy, either
