Want to look young? You need to change your shower habits

According to an anti-aging specialist, a small adjustment to your shower routine can reduce wrinkles, inflammation, and stress levels while improving sleep - and it doesn't have to be done every day.

 Cold Shower (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
Cold Shower
(photo credit: INGIMAGE)

Wouldn't you be willing to try a simple, albeit slightly unpleasant, action if it meant looking younger, preventing inflammation, reducing stress levels (which are currently high for all of us), and improving sleep?

According to Dr. Poonam Desai, an expert in anti-aging medicine and longevity, changing your shower habits, even if not daily, can yield results.

Dr. Desai asserts that taking cold showers has significant health benefits. We understand that it can be tough, especially on freezing days, but there's no need to turn every shower into an ice bath. 

Dr. Desai recommends just 11 minutes a week of exposure to cold water, which can increase collagen, reduce wrinkles, lower stress levels, decrease inflammation, and even enhance sleep quality.

In an Instagram video, she explains the health benefits, which can be gained by dividing the weekly exposure into three sessions of two to three minutes each to avoid putting too much strain on the body.

Dr. Desai discovered that this method may help prevent facial aging. She said that it helps reduce wrinkles and improves skin elasticity, concluding the video by urging viewers to incorporate cold exposure into their routine. It's important to note that Desai advises consulting a doctor before trying this new routine, especially if pregnant. 

 A cold shower may not be pleasant - but it is definitely worth it (credit: Giphy)
A cold shower may not be pleasant - but it is definitely worth it (credit: Giphy)

Dr. Desai is not the only one endorsing this opinion. Prominent TV doctor Michael Mosley agrees that colder showers can help reduce stress, improve heart and blood vessel health, and boost the immune system.

For instance, researchers found that swimmers in cold water experience fewer upper respiratory tract infections, suggesting that it's the cold water they swim in rather than their swimming activity itself. 

While scientists are still in the early stages of uncovering the immune system benefits of cold water, one study demonstrated that 30-second cold showers every morning for 60 days could reduce the number of sick days by 30 percent.