The 30-Second Hack You Should Be Using In The Shower, According To A Doctor

For many of us, taking a long hot shower isn’t just about getting clean, it’s the only time of the day when no one can reach us to ask about that overdue work assignment or what’s for dinner or our car’s extended warranty.

But could our beloved shower time be wreaking havoc on our bodies?

That’s what we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast — asked Dr. Divya Shokeen, the founder of Ocean Skin & Vein Institute in Manhattan Beach, California, when she dropped by the studio to talk about all of the ways we might be showering wrong and how to do it better.

Listen to the full episode by pressing play:

“Should you be taking a hot shower? No. Ideally, you should be taking a cold one,” Dr. Shokeen told us.

“I actually went down a huge rabbit hole on PubMed, which is basically a scientific database that goes through all these articles, [and I found studies that show] a cold shower not only invigorates you more, it helps with hair follicles, it helps with hair growth, it helps with skin rejuvenation, with blood vessel dilation — it’s awesome for you.”

Cold water may also aid in workout recovery, boosting immune system responses, improving circulation and possibly even enhancing mental health.

Hot water, on the other hand, can strip skin of its natural protective oils, fats and proteins, which can cause irritation, dryness and worsen eczema symptoms.

Since most of us can’t bear the thought of an icy shower, Dr. Shokeen recommends that we use warm water — not hot — and keep it short.

“Ideally [a shower should last] five minutes — five to 10 minutes. Anything longer… disrupts the mantle of your skin, which can cause more harm than good.”

Then, just before we’ve finished showering,