How often should you shower?

How many times a week should you shower?

There is no universal number of showers for everyone. But experts at Harvard Medical School suggestthat for most people, showering several times a week is enough. Considered normal wash in one or two days.

Is it possible to take a shower every day?

Yes, if available necessity. For example, when you worry about body odor, or exercise every day, or work on a farm or in an animal rescue. Or maybe a shower just helps you wake up or fall asleep.

Can showering too often be harmful?

Water, especially hot water, washes away sebum. Because of this, the balance of “good” bacteria and other microorganisms is disrupted. As a result:

• skin may become dry, irritated or itchy;
• Skin infections and allergic reactions may occur.

If you use antibacterial soap, it may wash away useful bacteria that interact with the immune system and help fight infections. As a result, others that are less friendly to your body may settle on your skin instead.

In children, this process can lead to impaired immune function. Therefore, they should not wash themselves daily at all. A normal bathing schedule for a baby is: 1–2 times in Week.

How to create your own washing schedule

Start from washing every 2-3 days and shower more often:

• if you are worried about body odor;
• got dirty while walking or working;
• went in for sports;
• you are allergic to pollen and have been outside;
• you were hot, you were sweating;
• you encountered toxic substances, for example, you broke a mercury thermometer at home or were exposed to ammonia fumes at work;
• you are menstruating.

You should shower less often or stop washing altogether if you feel unwell and are afraid that you might faint. It’s better to stay dirty for a while than to put yourself at risk.

Is it possible not to take a shower at all and only wash in the bathtub?

If it’s comfortable for you, then you can. The main thing is not to lie in the water for too long. For example, for people with heart disease, doctors advise limit to 10 minutes.

For skin health, it is also better not to soak for a long time. And if you used bombs while swimming, be sure to rinse off in the shower to remove salt and dyes, which can dry out and irritate your skin.

How to shower without harming yourself

Here are a few advicethat will help maintain healthy skin and hair.

Don’t linger in the bathroom

Average for washing in the shower enough 5–10 minutes. This way you will pay attention to all parts of the body, but will not dry out the skin. But if you’re in a hurry, enough will be 3-4 minutes with emphasis on the armpits and groin area.

Select the temperature

By SanPiNu The maximum temperature of hot water in houses should be from 60 to 75 °C. But it is not safe to wash in such water. Already at 49 °C you are at risk get burn.

Dermatologists advise Make sure the water temperature is 44 °C. This way you can remove dirt without harming skin bacteria.

Here’s who should lower their temperature even more:

• People with eczema, dermatitis And psoriasisso as not to irritate sensitive skin.
• Pregnant women, because due to hormonal changes they growing risk of overheating, dehydration and fainting.
• To those who dry skin – hot water will only worsen the condition.
• People with low blood pressure and problems with with my heart – for the former, the pressure in hot water will drop even more, and for the latter it may rise. There is a risk of fainting.

Too cold water is also not suitable for everyone. She forces blood vessels narrow, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. In people with heart and lung diseases, such a shower can cause arrhythmia. It is better for pregnant women to consult a doctor.

Don’t wash your whole body

It is better to limit the use of shower gel. The fact is that it washes away not only dirt, but also healthy skin microflora.

So unless you’ve fought in the mud, washing your body with clean, running water will likely be all you need. Most people will only need soap for their face, armpits, groin, buttocks and feet.

Use moisturizing soap

It doesn’t matter whether it’s liquid or in a bar. It is better to buy detergents labeled “moisturizing” and containing glycerin.

Choose unscented products: fragrances pull out moisture from the skin, so it is better to avoid them.

Consider your hair type

Shampooing is necessary 2–3 times in Week. Excessive cleansing can lead to brittle and dry hair, dandruff, itching and irritation of the scalp.

So sometimes you can safely skip hair treatments.

Be gentle

Do not use scrubs with coarse abrasives or scrub too hard with a washcloth. This can damage your skin and cause acne.

Apply body cream

Yes, yes, this is again advice in order not to dry out the skin. After a shower or bath, apply a fragrance-free moisturizer.

Keep your bathroom clean

The bathroom is an excellent environment for the proliferation of harmful microorganisms. Some of them can lead to disease, such as staphylococcal infections or fungus. In some cases, bacteria can get into the pores of the skin and cause inflammation.

Here are a few rules to help protect against them:

• after washing, you need to rinse the bath or shower stall;
• all washcloths and sponges should be thoroughly dried, and they should be changed every two months or at least disinfected in the dishwasher;
• Towels should also be completely dried between uses and replaced with clean ones at least once a week.