Apr 04 2008
4 Reasons Why You Need To Take Cold Showers!
A friend of mine is 45 years old, has no gray hair, and very good skin for her age. I wanted to find out if there was anything in her routine that could have been a reason for such youthful looks for her age (all without any surgery by the way!). Leaving genetics out of the equation for a moment, the one interesting thing that popped up was the fact that she takes a cold shower every morning. So I did a little research about the subject and found 4 main benefits that you gain by taking cold showers.
Now when I say cold shower, I want to clarify exactly what I mean by that. Taking a full cold shower, meaning no hot or warm or lukewarm water at all, is borderline torture! Especially in the cold winter months (I am from Montreal, and it is VERY cold here!). Besides, there are many benefits to taking a warm shower, the primary one being that it feels really good! But seriously, what I mean in this context, is the practice of starting with a warm shower, and ending the last few minutes with cool to cold water. Here are the benefits that you gain by incorporating this practice into your shower routine:
1- Better Circulation
Warm water makes the blood rush to your skin, and cool water makes the blood rush to your organs. This switching between hot and cold triggers better circulation in your blood by forcing the blood to move. The ideal practice would be to switch numerous times between hot and cold water, but merely ending the shower with cold water does help with circulation. Why should you worry about having good circulation? Well, it prevents such problems as hypertension, hardening of the arteries, and the appearance of varicose veins. Good circulation improves the performance of your system and thus help looking and feeling better.
2- Better looking skin
When you shower with warm water, it opens up your pores. Then you wash and this cleans up your pores. That’s all good. When you end, it would be best to close your pores and cold water does just that. It’s good to close your pores after you are all cleaned up because it will prevent the pores from being easily clogged by dirt and oil, which causes skin imperfections such as acne for example. Another benefit is that cold water makes your blood vessels constrict which reduces swelling and the appearance of dark circles under your eyes (where skin is at its thinnest). This provides you with a young, healthy glow.
3- Healthier hair
Cold water makes your hair look healthier and shinier. As a matter of fact, cool air makes your hair shinier too (that’s why there is a cool air button on your hair dryer). What the cold water does is that it closes the cuticle which makes the hair stronger and prevents dirt from easily accumulating within your scalp. Basically, the same principle with how it closes the pores of your skin as mentioned above. Stronger hair, of course, prevents hair from being easily pulled out when you are combing, and it helps in slowing down overall hair loss.
4- Mental benefits
There are plenty of mental benefits to ending your shower with cold water. The ancient samurai warriors used to pour buckets of cold river water on their heads every morning in a Shinto practice called Misogi. This was a purification ritual on a spiritual level. They believe that it cleansed their spirit and helped start a new day & new adventure fresh. Cold water obviously helps waking you up, which is what you want in the morning. Also, it energizes you and invigorates your entire being with the essence of life. Give it a try, you will definitely feel more alive! It can also lift you up if you are feeling a little down or unmotivated.
Ending your shower with cold water clearly has its advantages. I know this is something that can be very difficult for many people to do. The key is to not torture yourself. Go about it gradually. Start with a level of cold you can deal with, and slowly make it colder after each shower. As long as you get your feet wet (no pun intended!), and begin adding this routine at the end of your showers, you will be on your way to making a habit out of it and enjoy the benefits that this practice can bring you. Who knows, maybe you can avoid gray hair altogether like my friend! Maybe the fountain of youth is made up of very cold water?! 
This article was featured in The Fourth Edition of the Carnival of Improving Life
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I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view…
Dark under the eyes circles…
I enjoyed this post by you. I would like to mention it in my health-related articles this week….
Thanks for the info. By the way, I am a big fan of your site. Keep up the great work……
Wow! it is one of the good site i ever found….
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I am going to put this to use tomorrow morning. I am not going in shy though, I am going to only keep the water warm while washing and then turn it completely cold for 5-10 minutes. I am also reading up more on your point #4. This sentence caught my eye “The ancient samurai warriors used to pour buckets of cold river water on their heads every morning in a Shinto practice called Misogi.”
Keep up the awesome articles. I’ve read all of your articles from the front page (well, most of them anyways) and I only found your site two days ago
Hi Mike
Thanks for your kind words! Good luck with the cold showers….it takes a little bit to get used to it, but after a few times, it becomes a habit and you don’t mind the cold anymore 
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The Japanese have the longest average life span in the world, and they practice Misogi and they also take cold friction showers every morning. Also take note that its best to drink warm or hot liquids, rather then cold, especially during meals. A cold drink on and empty stomach is not so bad, but with food in your stomach the cold liquids can slow the digestions of fats and clog your system.
Great info!
I’ve been taking cold showers on and off for years now and just started (30 days ago) a 365 blog adventure, blogging my cold shower experiences every day.
Today, I plan to use your info as my post. So good!
Cheers!
j
This is a good tips. Thanks, i learn something new today. Tomorrow morning, cold shower…here i come…