Should you take hot or cold showers in monsoon? Doctor settles the dilemma, reveals pros and cons

The monsoon can feel oppressive. One moment, a heavy downpour causes the temperature to drop sharply, leaving you feeling cold; the next, you are sweating in the sticky humidity . This raises an everyday question: should you take a hot or cold shower during the rainy season? ALSO READ: Red, watery eyes during monsoon? Ophthalmologist shares 5 common infections you should watch out for

Dr Ganesh Viswanathan, a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine at KIMSHEALTH, Thiruvananthapuram, helped to resolve the dilemma over bathing temperature during the rainy season by outlining the pros and cons.

While both hot and cold showers have their benefits, they also come with alarming disadvantages that may outweigh them. Here are some listed by the physician:

The ideal monsoon shower temperature actually is somewhere between the two extremes. Dr Viswanathan recommended choosing lukewarm water, referring to it as the ‘Goldilocks’ option, as it is not too hot or too cold.

"'Goldilocks' water – lukewarm water is definitely the answer. The ‘Goldilocks’ water is lukewarm because it is neither too hot nor too cold. It is warm enough to effectively dissolve stubborn dirt, sweat, and bacteria, but cool enough to leave the natural body moisture barrier intact."

Lukewarm water keeps your skin barrier safe as it is not too hot, preventing the risk of stripping away the protective oils. It also adequately cleans your skin. During the humid monsoon, it is important that you choose a balanced temperature in order to prevent dryness and irritation, along with keeping the skin clean and comfortable.

Along with choosing the right water temperature, a few simple shower habits can help protect your skin and hair during the humid monsoon season. Here are some practical rules advised by the physician:

His parting advice is to choose lukewarm water, as “A lukewarm shower is the easiest way to keep the skin glowing, the hair smooth, and the immune system happy.” Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point.