Contrast showers, cold showers, sauna/steam room or cold plunge/ice baths for cellulite? What's best?

Hot, cold and cellulite

• Contrast showers vs cold showers vs hot showers vs ice baths / cold plunge: what is best for cellulite and for health overall?

• What is a contrast shower and how does it work?

• Do cold / contrast showers affect the ageing process and cellulite?

• Cold / contrast showers for cellulite

• Benefits of cold showers/ice baths versus contrast showers for cellulite fat reduction

• Cold plunge / ice bath after sauna / steam room for cellulite prevention and reduction

• Hot showers vs contrast showers: their effect on the body, skin ageing and cellulite in particular

• Cold shower vs hot shower vs contrast shower vs ice bath / cold plunge

• How to have a contrast shower for the whole body

• How to apply a contrast / cold shower only on the areas affected by cellulite

• Cold / contrast shower for facial anti-ageing

• How to maximise the effects of contrast showers

• Maximise your cellulite cream effectiveness, help prevent cellulite

• Other forms of contrast showering: steam bath/sauna followed by a cold plunge / ice bath

• Safety first

• Don’t go to bed after a cold shower / ice bath

• ‘Contrast bathing‘ on the beaches and waves of Cape Town

• Check our professional consultancy in cellulite, skin tightening, ultrasound and radiofrequency

Contrast showers vs cold showers vs hot showers vs ice baths/cold plunge vs sauna/steam room: what is best for cellulite and for health overall?

Everyone knows about the benefits of cold showers after a workout or after a long day, but few have heard about the even more pronounced benefits of contrast showering, and even fewer have tried them.

However, a contrast shower, as we will see is much better in all respects than a plain cold shower, an ice bath / cold plunge or a hot shower/bath, especially when it comes to cellulite prevention/removal and skin firming.

What is a contrast shower and how does it work?

Contrast showers (also known as alternate showers) are showers that use hot and cold water in alternation. Contrast showers are used as mental and physical alertness tonics and as methods of detoxification.

With contrast showering, blood and lymph vessels contract when cold water is used and dilate when hot water is used. This creates a pumping effect on blood vessels that enhances:

• Arterial flow (blood flow into the tissues)

• Venous return (blood flow from the tissues towards the heart via the veins)

• Lymphatic drainage (drainage of excess water and waste products from the tissues towards the heart).

As arterial flow is boosted, tissues get nourished and oxygenated and their metabolism is increased. As venous return and lymph drainage are enhanced, more toxins and metabolites can find their way out of the tissues and towards the heart. From there they are ultimately directed into the liver and kidneys for detoxification and expulsion from the body.

Needless to say, that cold and contrast showers are ideal for water retention and poor circulation.

Do cold / contrast showers affect the aging process and cellulite?

Contrast showers are a great anti-aging home remedy and also a great, inexpensive method for cellulite prevention / reduction.

The main mechanism by which cold / contrast showers fight skin and overall body ageing is the boost in circulation, mentioned above, which ultimately results in a boost in cell metabolism and detoxification.

Cold / contrast showers for cellulite

As we explain in another article, cellulite comprises seven components:

• poor circulation/lymphatic drainage/toxin accumulation

• inflammation

• fat accumulation

• oxidative damage

• skin looseness

• glycation

• scar tissue formation

The first three of those components are directly or indirectly affected by contrast showers in a favourable way.

Contrast showers encourage blood and lymph vessels to pump more vigorously and thereby increase the diffusion of nutrients and oxygen into the tissues. At the same time they also boost the removal of toxins and waste products from the tissues towards the detoxification organs of the body. In addition, metabolic rate of the affected tissues increases and inflammation tends to heal faster.

Since toxin and waste product accumulation, inflammation and water retention are important parts of what we call cellulite, it is apparent that contrast showers would help reduce or at least prevent cellulite.

Benefits of cold showers/ice baths versus contrast showers for cellulite fat reduction

In addition, since contrast showers boost sympathetic nervous system activity and thereby metabolic rate, they should - to some extent at least - help reduce the most important component of cellulite: fat.

We now know that cold stimulates the release of noradrenaline (norepinephrine), the most important fat-releasing hormone of the body. In this case one would be tempted to think that cold showers / ice baths are better than contrast showers in boosting topical fat loss, but the opposite is true. Continuous norepinephrine release eventually leads to a tolerance effect on the adipocytes, which consequently simply stop responding to it.

However, intermittent noradrenaline release, stimulated by a contrast shower, should not cause the same tolerance effect and thereby may be more effective than continuous release stimulated by a cold shower/bath. This noradrenaline release is also evidenced by the increased mental alertness and vitality people feel after taking a contrast shower.

Furthermore, cold showers/baths, can have an immediate vasoconstricting effect (blood and lymph vessels contract), which boosts lymphatic drainage and venous return. This can be very effective in removing waste products from the peripheral tissues, but does not create the vigorous pumping effect that contrast showers create. Therefore cold showers / ice baths are less efficient than contrast showers.

In addition, contrast showers are better tolerated by most people than cold showers, which especially in the winter can be very unpleasant, as hot water provides welcome distraction between the cold water periods.

Needless to say that most people cannot tolerate ice baths / clod plunges, except perhaps after a sauna/steam room session, so for the vast majority of the population they are impractical.

Cold plunge / ice bath after sauna / steam room for cellulite prevention and reduction

In essence, the alternation of an ice bath / cold plunge after a steam room / sauna session is similar to a contrast shower. In both cases we have alternation between hot and cold and the subsequent effects on metabolism, inflammation and circulation.

The only difference is that you can have a contrast shower in your bathroom, while for the sauna/steam room followed by cold plunge / ice bath situation you either need to visit a well equipped health club (most don’t have those facilities, especially the cold ones) or have a specially equipped bathroom / wellness room in your house.

Hot showers vs contrast showers: their effect on the body, skin ageing and cellulite in particular

The difference between a contrast shower and a hot shower is that with a hot shower arteries and veins dilate leading to more nutrients entering the tissues (which is great), more water entering the tissues (which is not so great...) but less waste products and water leaving the tissues (which is really not good).

In the end this water retention can potentially increase inflammation (this is why heat is not good for sports injuries and ice is the number one treatment for them).

Furthermore, hot showers relax the central nervous system and decrease metabolic rate.

Cold shower vs hot shower vs contrast shower vs ice bath / cold plunge

From the above, it is obvious that for metabolism, detoxification, anti-ageing and cellulite and circulation/lymph drainage enhancement, the order of effectiveness is:

• contrast shower (more effective)

• cold shower / ice bath / cold shower (OK)

• hot shower / hot back (not useful)

How to have a contrast shower for the whole body

I love contrast showers as they increase my alertness and make me feel vigorous and alive. The way I take them is as follows:

• If I feel tired and hot, I start with cold water (as cold as I can tolerate) and thoroughly cool down all parts of my body. This usually takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Then I switch to hot water (as hot as I can tolerate) and again warm up the whole body, again for anything between 30 seconds to 2 minutes (in the winter I tend to use hot water for more time and in the summer I tend to use cold water more).

• I repeat this procedure 2 to 5 times, always listening to signals from my body. I do not force myself to do something that my body doesn’t want and if one day I don’t feel like it I just don’t contrast shower.

• At the end of this cycle of intense temperature variations, I calm down my system by using cool water (not cold) followed by luke-warm water (not hot). Finally, I finish with water at exactly the same temperature as my body. So the full routine could be summarised as follows:

• Cold/hot: 2~5 cycles, ½-2 minutes each

• Cool/luke warm: 1~2 cycles, ½-2 minutes each

• Neutral: 1~2 minutes

How to apply a contrast / cold shower only on the areas affected by cellulite

If you are only going to work only on your thighs and butt, then you may skip the cool/luke warm cycle, as well as the neutral part of the routine, so that you achieve maximum effect.

For full body contrast showering it is important to somewhat calm down the system, otherwise you may feel cold later, especially in the winter. You may also get over-stimulated. So the cool/luke warm cycle and the neutral cycle are essential for whole body contrast showers.

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with really stimulating your thighs/butt only, without acclimatising before and after. In fact, this is exactly what we want to achieve. And as the stimulation is only localised, you will not feel too cold or too “hyper” with a contrast shower only on calves, thighs and bottom.

But be careful, applying a contrast shower to affect the cellulite on the stomach, waist or upper arms, may give you a cold or diarrhoea, as these areas are too close to your internal organs, which don’t normally like cold.

Also, be careful when you work on your inner thighs or the buttocks not to irritate the intimate areas with the cold/hot water sequence.

Cold / contrast shower for facial anti-ageing

The same precautions taken for full or upper body cold / contrast showers, mentioned in the previous paragraph, also apply for the face / neck / décolletage: the cool/lukewarm cycle and the neutral cycle are essential to prevent you catching a cold.

Of course, having a cold shower in the summer is much safer than doing so in the winter, so use your common sense on what is appropriate for your body.

How to maximise the effects of contrast showers

The best time to apply a good anti-ageing or anti-cellulite cream is immediately after a contrast shower, as the hot/cold shower will increase the effectiveness and absorption of the cream

In turn, the best time to have a contrast shower is immediately after exercise, which will produce a synergistic effect and will help remove lactic acid and waste products from the muscles.

The best time to body brush is immediate after a contrast shower and immediately before applying a cream (but always body brush gently - not to hard and not too long).

And finally, the best time to have an anti-cellulite treatment is immediately after exercise (as we explain in another article) and immediately before a contrast shower. So the ideal complete routine should look something like this:

• Cellulite cream

• Exercise

• Cellulite treatment (or self-massage on thighs)

• Contrast shower

• Dry brushing

• Cellulite cream

You may include or take out of this routine as many or as few steps as you want. This is an ideal routine whose full application depends on time, and also on the cost of the treatments and the creams.

Dry brushing, as we explain in another article on this site, is not effective at all for cellulite, despite what ignorant beauty writers and body brush sellers want you to believe.

The only reason I suggest it is as an exfoliation method to help increase the absorption of the anti-cellulite cream you may be using.

Maximise your cellulite cream effectiveness, help prevent cellulite

Neither a contrast shower nor self-massage can replace the effectiveness of a good anti-cellulite treatment, but they cost nothing and can be used as no-cost add-ons to your course of professional cellulite treatments.

In addition, by maximising the absorption and effectiveness of your cellulite cream, a contrast shower will make the money you paid for the cream go further.

And if you don’t have cellulite, why not use contrast showering to offer a pleasant micro-massage to your thighs and buttocks, and therefore boost circulation and prevent cellulite?

Of course the combination of contrast showers with muffins and caramel macchiatos will not keep the cellulite at bay for long. However, with a reasonable diet, contrast showers will help you prevent cellulite.

Generally speaking, the more naughty food you eat (you know, fats, starches, sugars, alcohol) and the more sedentary you are, then things like contrast showers are not enough and professional cellulite treatments and cellulite creams become important, if you want to avoid cellulite.

Other forms of contrast showering: steam bath/sauna followed by a cold plunge / ice bath

As mentioned above, athletes and sports people use contrast baths to recover from or prevent sports injuries and post-exercise muscle pain (also known as DOMS - Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

Alternating sauna or steam bath with a cold water plunge is another form of "contrast showering".

Some athletes go as far as immersing themselves in a hot bath first and then plunging into a tub filled with ice cubes (cold plunge / ice bath).

I wouldn't advise covering your whole body in ice cubes, unless you know you're fit enough for that, but immersing your legs in a really cold plunge is a fantastic way to stay firm and smooth - and sports injuries.

As mentioned earlier, ice baths are not applicable to the vast majority of the population. For more people contrast showers are the best way to reap the benefits of cold therapy, without suffering.

‘Contrast bathing‘ on the beaches and waves of Cape Town

Above all else, my favourite “contrast shower” routine is soaking up the hot sun for an hour or so on Camps Bay beach in Cape Town and then splashing in the freezing cold sea (which can be as cold as 15ºC) for a few minutes.

The best time to do this is during the southern hemisphere summer (November to April).

The intense temperature difference, the bright African sun and the freezing wild waves make this the most fun “contrast shower” in the world!

(Only for the brave ones, as sea temperatures can be freezing and the waves can be very strong. Always follow local advice.)

Safety first

You must not take very cold, very hot or contrast showers without medical approval, if you suffer from a diagnosed or suspected heart disease, circulatory and respiratory conditions, diabetes, asthma, if you have a cold or other infection, if you faint easily or if you are in poor health in general.

Contrast showers are very powerful and therefore must be treated with respect. In general, localised contrast showers on the calves and thighs are pretty safe, whilst full body contrast showers produce full body effects and must be treated with respect.

So if you are uncertain, ask your doctor first before applying the advice contained in this article.

Don’t go to bed after a cold shower / ice bath

The worst time to have a contrast shower is before going to bed, as it will probably keep you awake for some time.

One of the best times is to have it first thing in the morning, as it can help you wake up - but only if you are brave enough. Unfortunately, I can only do that in the summer.

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