Welcome back to Just Curious, Strong Women’s weekly series exploring all the random health and fitness questions you’ve always wondered about but never got the answers to.

This week, we’re looking into the impact of hot showers on your skin and hair, and how to stop yourself from becoming dry and flaky while still enjoying the warmth.

Waking up when it’s cold and dark outside is never easy, but if there’s one thing that can make it a teensy bit more bearable, it’s knowing you can jump straight into a hot shower. There’s nothing quite like some warm water, your favourite shower products and a bit of background music to get you ready to face the day ahead.

But while these hot showers may be good for our wellbeing, they’re not so good for our hair and skin. According to dermatologists, showering in extra hot water during the colder months could be drying our hair and skin out – a problem many people deal with throughout autumn and winter. So, why is this?

To find out more, we asked dermatologists and hair experts to explain what happens to our skin and hair when we take hot showers at this time of year, and what we can all do to maintain moisture while not missing out on the much-needed warmth.  

The idea of water drying out anything can be hard to wrap your head around, but in this case, it’s all to do with the temperature of the water and the air around you.

When it comes to your skin, the impact of the hot water on your blood vessels is to blame. “A hot shower causes vasodilation [widening] of the local blood vessels in your skin, which allows heat to dissipate,” says Dr Angela Tewari, consultant dermatologist at GetHarley. “As the heat evaporates, it pulls moisture from the skin out into the atmosphere, thus leaving your skin and scalp sometimes feeling dry and dehydrated.”

Because indoor humidity levels tend to be lower in the winter when we’ve got the central heating turned on, this rate of evaporation tends to be faster. 

And the hot water can also strip excess oils from your scalp – the heat breaks down the oils, which then wash away – adding to the dryness the evaporating heat causes.

And as a result, your hair suffers. “Natural oils act as a protective barrier for scalp health and moisture, but without it, skin and hair can become dry,” says Nicole Petty, hair expert at Milk & Blush. “The hair cuticles, which make up the outer layer of each hair strand, also open in hot water, which makes it much easier to lose moisture from the locks. This can cause long-term brittleness and frizz.” 

While turning your shower temperature down just a tad will definitely help to reduce the drying effect of the heat (the water should be 38°C or lower to protect your hair against dryness, Petty says), there are other steps you can take to support the moisture of your hair and skin during the colder months. 

1. Use moisturising products

Using moisturising products – and avoiding those which cause irritation – is probably the most important thing you can do to help your skin and hair retain moisture.

“The skin barrier is the first point of call to prevent infections setting in and to avoid too much water loss, and the wrong products can contribute to inflammation, acne and perioral dermatitis, so it’s important to get the right products,” Dr Tewari says.

“Try using glycerol or urea-based body cream products or oatmeal-based moisturisers, and consider cream-based rather than gel-based body washes.”

2. Try scalp oiling before your showers

If you can’t let go of the hot water, then taking steps to protect your hair before you get into the shower every so often can stop some of the moisture loss.

“Scalp oiling before a shower can infuse your scalp and hair follicles with hydration to protect it against dryness,” Petty explains. “Applying argon, castor or rosemary oils to the scalp and massaging it for a few minutes can increase blood circulation to help hair growth and hydration. Doing this once per week can improve hair condition long term.”

3. Keep your towelling gentle

Winter isn’t the time to dry every inch of your body with a harsh towel and vigorous motions – make sure to take things easy and stop evaporation where possible.

“To keep the skin hydrated, simply pat the skin dry after a shower rather than vigorously towelling off,” says Dr Adam Friedmann, a consultant dermatologist at Stratum Clinics. “After a shower, water evaporates off your skin quickly, which can leave your skin feeling dry, so moisture when the skin is still slightly damp.” 

Images: Getty