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Doctor Explains Why You Shouldn’t Take A Cold Shower To Keep Cool During The Heatwave

Doctor Explains Why You Shouldn’t Take A Cold Shower To Keep Cool During The Heatwave

It's a big no-no.

Lucy Devine

Lucy Devine

In what feels like day 200 of this month's heatwave, we're ready to try just about anything in a bid to cool down.

And taking a cold shower seems like a good option, doesn't it? Well, according to a doctor, it's something you want to avoid.


Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Dr Sarah Jarvis explained: "We don't necessarily want to have a really cold shower.

"If you have a cool shower and then allow the water to evaporate off your skin, so you don't open the doors to the shower and just stand there as the water evaporates, that will definitely help cool you down."

It's believed taking a cold shower in hot weather is actually counter productive. This is because when our body is subjected to extreme cold, it tries to regulate our core temperature.

A cold shower may not be the best idea (
Unsplash)

One of the ways it does this is by controlling blood flow to the skin. When it is reduced, heat is retained within the body, meaning although initially a cold shower might make you feel cooler for a short period, you'll actually feel hotter than you did before after a few minutes.

Dr Sarah also warned against applying ice directly to the skin.

Dr Sarah also warned against applying ice directly to the skin (
ITV)

She said: "Please don't forget - never put ice directly onto your skin because that can cause ice burns.

"But a cool flannel around your neck, and possibly putting sheets in the freezer, but again, not risking any ice burns, can also help."

These aren't the only tricks to help you get a good night's sleep in the sweltering temperatures. Last year, sleep expert James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, told Tyla his top tips for getting some decent shut eye in the heat.

These include placing a bowl of chilled water in front of your fan to cool the stream of air circulating around the room.

You can read his full tips here.

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

Topics: Life News, heatwave