DA. Jared Ross is a bath fanatic. The temperature where he lives in Charleston, SC, recently reached the steamy triple digits — and he beat it by jumping under a deluge of nice, cool water four times a day.
Even when it’s milder outside, showering is “the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before getting into my pajamas at night,” says Ross, 39, an emergency room physician. He also jumps after working out or swimming in the pool or sea. “There is a certain zen and relaxation about taking a bath,” he says. “It’s a feeling of cleanliness that’s refreshing and therapeutic, especially if I’m wearing clean clothes.”
Ross makes a point of showering quickly – 3 to 5 minutes usually does the trick – so he doesn’t waste water. But what about the health effects? We asked dermatologists if there is such a thing as bathing too much – or too little.
Is it possible to shower too much?
Almost everyone takes a shower. However, we all have different tolerance levels – and exactly as Whether someone showers may be more important than how often they do it, says Dr. Jules Lipoff, a Philadelphia dermatologist who teaches at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “People who are prone to dry skin or eczema will not tolerate excessive washing very well,” he says. “While for most people, [showering more than once a day] It wouldn’t be a problem.”
The skin has many different layers, explains Lipoff, and generally absorbs a certain amount of water, retains most of it, and then loses some. People with eczema, however, lack certain proteins or have characteristics in their skin that cause them to lose more water than other people. “They tend to get dry, and because they get dry, they get itchy, they itch, and it gets worse and they have to scratch more,” he says. “When I advise people with dry skin, they also can’t retain water, so they should be extra careful with how they shower.” Showering can weaken the skin’s natural ability to regulate moisture levels, and hot water, in particular, can damage the skin’s barrier, causing even more dryness. In addition to being unpleasant, dry skin sometimes cracks, which allows microorganisms to enter – increasing the risk of skin infection. That’s why Lipoff suggests using warm water rather than hot (the higher the temperature, the more drying it will be), keeping your shower for less than 10 minutes, and using soap carefully (which can also have a drying effect).
See more information: How to deal with sweaty feet
Getting rid of cloths and loofahs also helps a lot. “Some of my eczema patients look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them I want them to wash without a cloth,” says Lipoff. “But they don’t really help at all. It’s more of a psychological feeling of being clean.” Plus, scrubbing too hard (and too often) can strip your skin of its natural body oils and make it harder to retain moisture. “Sometimes when people have drier skin, they do more because they think it helps,” says Lipoff. “If you have an area of dry skin, you can rub it, like, ‘Get out, damn spot.’ But that actually counterintuitively makes it worse.”
Frequent bathing can also become problematic depending on the type of soap you are using. Antibacterial options, for example, can kill many bacteria in the body’s microbiome, which is a community of thousands of microorganisms. “Cleaning up [good bacteria] completely not a good thing,” says Lipoff. “You probably shouldn’t use antibacterial soap if you don’t have to.” Additionally, antibacterial soaps tend to be harsher than other options, which means they dry out your skin more quickly. Lipoff recommends opting for mild, fragrance-free soaps with a short, simple list of ingredients; a basic bar fits the bill.
As a general rule, “if you shower more than once or twice a day on most days, you’re probably flirting too much,” says Dr. Deanne Mraz, president and co-founder of Modern Dermatology in Westport. , Connecticut, and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital. But given that bathing affects different skin types differently, and that everyone has different activity and lifestyle tendencies, it’s impossible to say for sure what will be harmful for you. That’s why it’s a good idea to let your body make the decision: “If your skin feels dry, dehydrated, red, and irritated or inflamed, cut back on how often you shower,” says Mraz.
How often should you wash your hair?
Many people can wash their hair once a day without any problems, says Dr. Carolyn Goh, associate clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA Health and founder of the UCLA Hair and Scalp Disorder Clinic. “The key is to wash your scalp with shampoo—and I said scalp, not hair—to keep it clean and avoid oil,” she says. “It’s more about the scalp than the hair itself.”
See more information: How much hair loss is normal for women?
Of course, the texture and health of your hair will determine the exact frequency that’s right for you. People with dry hair may find that overwashing strips it of oil and makes it brittle, says Goh; In this case, count on the help of a conditioner developed for your hair type, whether curly, fine, dry or chemically treated. “Conditioner replaces oils to some extent,” she says. Meanwhile, “if people with really, really tight curls wash their hair every day, everything will break,” adds Goh. “Often, they wash their hair maybe once a week or once every two weeks, and that’s reasonable.” People with straight hair, on the other hand, typically tolerate more frequent washing.
What is the ideal amount of bath?
There is no single equation for how many baths to take per day or week. The right frequency for you depends on your skin type and lifestyle choices, says Dr. Mary Stevenson, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Health. “Ideally, I think people should shower at least every other day,” she says. “Most people, on the second or third day, are not clean. But it’s a little personal.”
In addition to those prone to dryness, people with delicate skin skin – like older people – generally showers best every other day. Those with oily skin, on the other hand, “can handle showering more frequently,” says Stevenson. Activities also play a role. “Whenever you get dirty or get really oily and sweaty, you need to shower,” she emphasizes. So if you spent two hours at the gym or on the pickleball court? Or were you cleaning your dirty garage? Wherever you go. But if you haven’t left the house in days, you can probably extend the time between showers.
What happens if you shower too little?
The odor can increase over time, potentially leading to awkward social exchanges. Plus, if you don’t shower, you’ll accumulate more dead skin cells and oil than usual. This can lead to “clogged pores, acne, skin infections, and even hair loss,” says Mraz.
See more information: Why do you sweat so much at night – and what to do about it
In the extreme, she adds, you can also have dermatitis neglecta, which means brown or gray patches of dead cells, dirt, and sweat develop on the skin. Studies suggest it is rare, takes a few months to fully develop, and is usually related to underlying psychological problems.
How to optimize the bath experience
Most of us can get as clean in two minutes as we can in 20, says Lipoff. Brevity helps avoid any negative effects on the skin. “You probably don’t need to be in the shower that long,” he says. “You’re not cleaner – it’s just for your psychological health or your routine.”
Plus, we tend to use a lot more soap than we need. “In general, you really only need soap on your armpits, groin area, and feet,” says Stevenson. “If you have dirt or you’re sweating all over, that’s a little different. But people really love soaping themselves up and you don’t have to.” If you feel compelled to take more than one shower a day, quickly rinse at least one of them, ditching the soap altogether or using it in just a few places. This can help protect against dryness.
How you dry yourself afterwards is also important. Rubbing can be very rough on the skin, causing irritation and inflammation. Instead, pat dry with a towel. It’s also helpful to apply moisturizer at least once a day. “Leave your lotion or cream in the shower, and before you get out, scrub it in,” says Goh. “Then you get out and dry, and that helps retain some of the moisture from the water”—a soothing dose of protection against dry skin.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
