Many people love using a hot tub because of its therapeutic and relaxation benefits. Hot tubs are known to allow the release of body toxins. One of the most asked questions is if you should shower after using a hot tub.
There are good reasons why you should shower after using a hot tub. Poorly maintained hot tubs, especially public ones, may accumulate bacteria that could cause infections and diseases. The hot tub may also contain chemicals that can cause skin issues if you do not rinse them.
Read on and explore why you should shower before and after using a hot tub. I will also discuss what can happen if you do not shower before or after using a hot tub.
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Should You Shower Before Using a Hot Tub?
Taking a shower before soaking in a hot tub is good hygiene. I consider this proper etiquette, especially when using public hot tubs. Public spas, saunas, pools, and hot tub owners usually require guests to shower before using their facilities.
You should shower before using a hot tub for three reasons: courtesy to others, rinsing away body contaminants, and cooling yourself down.
1. Courtesy to Others
You would not want to soak into a hot tub full of contaminants. As a responsible hot tub user, you should be courteous enough not to share your pollutants with other users. Other people may pick up your contaminants if you do not shower.
2. Removing Body Contaminants
You also would not want to alter the chemistry of your hot tub water because of your contaminants. Bathing is the best way to avoid creating hot tub issues.
After a good day at work, your body can accumulate a lot of pollutants. These can include sweat, dead skin, body oils, and chemicals. Showering before you soak minimizes the pollutants you bring into the hot tub.
Yes, it is the pollutants you can avoid bringing into the tub, and it does matter. Your body pollutants can cause issues with your hot tub because they change the water chemistry. The contaminants can affect the pH and alkalinity of the hot tub.
3. Cooling Yourself Down Before Soaking in High-Temperature Hot Tub
Taking a shower before soaking can also help you cool down to make your body more capable of staying longer in the hot tub. A study revealed that a shower can significantly lower body temperature. Your body does not overheat very easily if you shower before soaking.
If you shower before hot tubbing, you must ensure that you rinse yourself well. Getting rid of the soap, shampoo, or shower chemicals you use would be best. When these chemicals mix with the hot tub water, they can cause issues with your hot tub.
What Happens if You Don’t Shower Before a Hot Tub?
No guaranteed health issues will happen to your body if you do not shower before staying in a hot tub. It does not kill you or anything. However, you will miss the benefit of cooling your body before soaking in high-temperature hot tub water.
Steeping straight in the hot tub will also affect the hot tub’s pH and total alkalinity level. The hot tub’s alkalinity will drop when your body’s contaminants mix with the water.
But why would you worry about the total alkalinity level of your hot tub anyway? Well, it is because it is critical. If your hot tub’s alkalinity drops lower than 80 ppm, your hot tub becomes very acidic.
What if the water in your hot tub becomes acidic? When the hot tub water has low alkalinity, you will likely experience skin irritations.
Additionally, your hot tub will suffer from corrosion and other damage. Therefore, taking a good shower is a good way to take care of yourself and your hot tub.
Are You Clean After a Hot Tub?
People often wonder if a hot tub session will make you clean. A hot tub has many benefits, including skin and body cleansing. But hot tubbing is not enough to give you a 100% cleaning.
The hot temperature of the tub does magic. It opens the pores of your skin and releases body toxins. The hot water cleanses the dead skin cells and bacteria.
However, even though the hot tub has some cleansing effect on your body, it is not enough. When people soak in the tub to relax and detoxify, their toxins do not go anywhere.
The contaminants will stay in the hot tub until it is disinfected. You risk picking up these toxins and bacteria if the hot tub is not properly maintained. As a result, you might develop skin irritations or allergies.
In other words, going in a hot tub can potentially release your body toxins. But taking a shower afterward will seal the deal. A good shower will further unclog your skin and rinse away toxins and bacteria you may have picked up.
Should You Shower After Using a Hot Tub?
Some people feel so good after soaking in a hot tub that they don’t shower anymore. Is it okay not to shower after using a hot tub?
If you don’t have very sensitive skin, not bathing after using a hot tub may not be so much of an issue. But people with sensitive or irritable skin must never miss the shower.
Experts highly recommend closing your hot tub relaxation with a shower. The main purpose of taking a shower is to remove all the contaminants and chemicals you may have picked up from the hot tub.
Your skin pores are open after you soak in a hot tub. It means that some impurities may be on them. If you do not shower to rinse these impurities, there is a risk that your skin pores will clog up.
I should say that taking a shower is imperative if you use a public hot tub. You can’t track who has stayed in the tub and what contaminants they left. Consider taking a shower as your protection from any irritations and skin diseases.
Another benefit of taking a shower after using a hot tub is that it may help restore your body’s normal temperature. Your session in the hot tub may increase your body temperature. A good shower can help cool your body down.
Don’t use hot showers when taking a shower after using a hot tub. Your skin pores are already open. Therefore, a cold shower is ideal because it will help cool down your skin and close its pores after rinsing.
Moreover, a cold shower helps with your blood circulation. It increases your heart rate and makes you feel more alert. It can also give you some relief from stress and depression.
How Long Should You Shower After Using a Hot Tub?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that an average shower could take up to 8 minutes. As for how long you should shower after using a hot tub, there is no particular requirement.
However, dermatologists suggest that you should shower for 5 to 10 minutes. This duration ensures that your skin is clean and hydrated.
A very short shower is unhealthy because it doesn’t cleanse your clean well. Less than five minutes shower may not remove the bacteria, toxins, and dead skin cells.
On the other hand, over-showering may also have some side effects. It is known to dehydrate your skin if you shower for too long. There is a risk of stripping off natural skin oil.
Related Read: How Long Should You Stay in a Hot Tub?
What Happens if You Don’t Shower After a Hot Tub?
We sometimes get too lazy to take a shower after hot tubbing. We think it is no longer needed because the hot tub has some cleansing effect. But what happens if you do not shower after a hot tub?
If you do not rinse off after a hot tub, there is a high tendency for you to develop skin problems. Yes, the odds are high for you to experience skin issues.
The chemicals in the hot tub will be left on your skin, and they can potentially cause damage. Chlorine is the most common chemical in your hot tub water.
Oversoaking your skin in highly chlorinated water is not good. Chlorine can cause rashes and dry skin. Therefore, rinsing this chemical off of your skin is a good prevention.
Another thing that will happen is skin contamination or skin infections. The hot tub can be a home to many bacteria. These bacteria can cause skin infections when they get into your skin pores.
Hot tub rash is a common condition for hot tub users. Red and itchy skin blisters characterize this infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes the hot tub rash.
A study reports that 67% of hot tubs are contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The same study reveals that there are more women affected than men.
Frequently Asked Questions
A cold shower after using a hot tub is not lethal. Some people jump into the snow or plunge into ice water without known side effects. Experts say that a cold shower may help your blood circulation.
Experts say that over-bathing may cause some side effects on your skin. An extended shower session may strip off your skin’s natural oil and make it dehydrated. The ideal shower duration is 5 to 10 minutes.
Conclusion
Taking a shower after using a hot tub is highly recommended to clean your skin from contaminants and chemicals. Your hot tub could house bacteria that can cause infections and skin irritations.
Although the hot tub can release toxins from your body through your skin, you must wash them off while your skin pores are open. You will likely have skin rashes and infections if you do not shower after using a hot tub.
