Are COLD showers healthy?

It's not as if I absolutely adore cold showers, I do like the accasional hot shower, but I feel like it stimulates the blood flow if you do take cold showers.

What do you think?

And if it's not too personal to ask - how do you shower? Temperature-wise?

as long as you're not in there getting hypothermia, I see nothing wrong with it (polar bear club anyone?)

I take warm showers with cool rinse in summer, and hot showers in winter with a cool rinse. I sound like a washing machine!

I don't understand what "healthy" has to do with it.

Hot in the morning. Cool in the evening. Summer in Florida.

Im not sure what affects it may have on the body itself but its known that cold water is good for the hair. It firms up the skin around the scalp causing your hair roots to buckle with more strength.

But I hate cold water.... even warm water. I normally allow the water to run for about 30 seconds before getting in, in order to allow for the water to get near boiling point (or whatever I can barely stand and then modify it so I can allow myself to be drenched from the neck down (I then turn the heat just a bit lower to clean my hair). But all in all I can only do with extremely hot water and very high pressure all year round and normally stay within for around 15 to 20 minutes or until I finish a thought which allows me to get out of the shower completely red skinned.

Original Post by kathygator:

Hot in the morning. Cool in the evening. Summer in Florida.

sounds like summer in vancouver.

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

as long as you're not in there getting hypothermia, I see nothing wrong with it (polar bear club anyone?)

I take warm showers with cool rinse in summer, and hot showers in winter with a cool rinse. I sound like a washing machine!

 I'm the same way! Something about the cool rinse makes me feel cleaner

I used to like to take a super hot bath and follow it up with a cool rinse shower, after. But that was back when I wasn't paying for water - my dad was.

Warmish-cool is what I always shower in, it's not warm/hot or cold. It's in between somewhere, more cool than warm. I like it!

I'm with bombacho....well, not "with", in the shower, er....

I like my showers boiling hot.

/awkwardness

I went to see a naturopath last year and she told me that changing the shower temp from hot to cold (for a few seconds) increases blood flow and can be very good for you. 

But if you consistently take cold showers, there shouldn't be any health issues with that. 

If you talk to my dates, then no. 

On a hot day I like a hot shower followed by a cool shower...or in those japanese shower saunas.

Thank you for your feedback. An enlighting read. =)

As for what I mean with 'healthy' is simply whether cold showers stimulate your blood flow. I've read accounts where it says that cold water increases the pressure with which your blood flows through your capillaries (not to a damaging point, of course) and helps clear away excess oxidants and fats.

Yet, nothing is for sure...

I hope they're okay.

I love cold showers. <3 I used to take long, long cold showers when I was little, and I still do when I have the time. It's very refreshing.

You're right, jaefuma. I do enjoy the occasional cold shower; it's really refreshing and helps to get rid of a horrible headache. It even eases muscle cramps weirdly enough.

Wow, I can't believe anyone takes a cold shower.  I thought that was a punishment reserved for inmates in prison.  I take hot showers always, even if it's hot, and even still I have goosebumps during showertime, even if it's as hot as I can stand it.