Healthier

Do you like to take a morning shower, or do you prefer to clean up before going to bed? Whether you choose to cleanse your body in the morning or night doesn’t matter. It’s about getting clean. So, which method is the best?

It’s an age-old debate that probably has been going on since the cavemen were rinsing off from their day in basins. Even with all the advancements in science and health, there is still no clear answer to this dilemma. Indeed, we might never have a clear answer–just personal choice. However, you can use science and studies to make an educated decision on when you should shower.

Of course, you must also consider your personal preference as there is no right or wrong answer. Some might say that the answer is just as murky as used bathwater. If you prefer to shower at night, then your theory is that it’s good to wash away all the dirt and grime from the day before you get into bed.

Those individuals who prefer a morning shower like to wash away all the sweat and debris from the night. Since some people sweat heavily during their sleep, it’s understandable how washing away the nighttime and having a fresh start to the day is the way to go.

The sad fact is that you can take a shower but still spread germs and such around on your sheets. It’s common for humans to sweat at night, and all the bacteria that you collect and generate throughout the night are on your sheets and your body. The germs are just sitting on your skin, waiting to make you smell and feel gross during the day.

Advantages of a Morning Shower

The argument for a morning shower is that you start your day fresh and clean, putting you in the right mindset for success. A shower is refreshing and awakens you so that you can be more alert for your day. If you need a creative boost to get you going, or you have a hard time waking up in the am, then a morning shower may be a better choice for you.

Everyone experiences sleep inertia, and it can last for 15-30 minutes after you rise. Your body is starting to wake up and get all your systems going. It can take some people longer than others. A morning shower can help you shake off that sleep inertia and step out on the right note.

Did you know that many people plan their day and deliberate about their problems while letting the hot water pour over their bodies? It’s in these moments that you have a few minutes to ponder your life, and what better time than when you’re lathering up your soap and cleansing away dirt and grime from your rest. Might as well wash a little bit of negativity down the drain too.

A scientific argument for a morning shower is that the hot water activates your “alpha brain waves,” which are known for giving you clarity about your life and situations that you must handle. Some believe it’s like the zoning out experience that you have when you’re doing exercise or meditations as it can get your creative juices flowing.

Advantages of an Evening Shower

Now, if you prefer to wash off the bacteria from the day in a night shower, then you couldn’t imagine changing your bath schedule. Some argue that since you’re rolling around on the sheets, the germs are spread on the surface rather than piling on top of your skin. Additionally, taking a shower before you go to sleep can help set the mood for a good night of rest.

A study showed that if you take a bath about an hour and a half before you go to bed, it will improve your ability to sleep well during the night. Though it was specifically looking at baths, their investigation focused on the warmth felt from the waters, so it can easily apply to a bath or a shower, either one.

Did you know that your body cools down at night, and your circadian rhythm or internal body clock winds down so that you can drift into dreamland? When you take a shower, it raises your body’s temperature ever so slightly, which kickstarts your body into going into the cooling down process. So, it makes it easier for you to sleep, which is ideal for those who suffer from sleep disturbances like insomnia.

What About Baths?

What if you could care less about the time of day you shower but prefer to take a bath and soak away your troubles? Some argue that baths are nasty because you’re sitting in your bacteria and grime washed from your body. Others don’t care because the warm water eases their tired muscles and feels invigorating.

• Old School Bathhouses

Did you know that bathing has been popular since the Middle Ages? While people weren’t as lucky as a civilization today to have indoor plumbing and tubs, they would gather in bathhouses spread throughout the cities. The Egyptians were the ones who revered the bath as they were fanatics about keeping their bodies clean.

Soap was invented around 2,000 B.C., and before this time, people would use things like olive oil to cleanse their skin and scrape it off with a unique tool. You’ve probably heard of The Roman bathhouses as they were made famous by the people in Italy.

A bath in one of these houses was not just an opportunity to get clean, but it was also a reason to come together and assemble. These baths had a cold room that they called a frigidarium. You started here to get your body ready for the tub. Then you went to the warm room, aka the Tepidarium.

The last room was the hot room or the caldarium. The final step in the cleansing process was to take a lovely, cool dip in the swimming pool. Remember, this was before the days of chlorine and other pool cleansers, so can you imagine the bacteria in those pools?

The churches deemed these sinful places. Thus, church leaders stepped in during the 16th century to begin closing these places, which became obsolete shortly after.

They were concerned about the number of children being born from sinful acts in these houses as well as people’s desire to spend more time congregating in the bathhouse and less time in service. Thankfully, history was already moving beyond the need for public bathing as more families installed bathrooms in their homes.

• The Revolution of the Bathroom

By the 14th century, people had begun to build tub structures from trees to put in their bedrooms. The Palace of Westminster was the first official residence to receive a bathroom, and Edward III ordered it. The baths were mostly with cold water unless they took the time to heat a cauldron.

During the 19th century, everything changed. By the late 1800s, bathrooms were commonplace in households, and residents enjoyed taking a warm bath thanks to Benjamin Maughan and his invention of the gas water heater. Baths became more a part of a daily ritual as people didn’t need to travel to a bathhouse or heat water. In this century, toothpaste, paper towels, soap, and other toiletries also became commonplace.

History is fascinating to learn, and you can now see where your daily bathing habits originated. But, it still doesn’t answer whether it’s clean to take a bath. The truth is you’re not getting clean, even if you use soap, by sitting in a tub of water.

Your body sheds about 30,000 skin cells every hour, which is a significant amount. So not only do you have all the filth you wash from your body, but you also have tons of dead skin cells floating around in your water. How can you possibly get clean when you’re sitting in a tub full of bacteria?

If you like to take a bath for the therapeutic benefits that it brings, then rinse off in a quick shower afterward. There are about 200,000 bacteria per square inch in your tub. Thus, it’s easy to see that you’re not doing yourself a favor by soaking to get clean.

Final Thoughts on the Night Versus Morning Shower Debate

Whether you prefer a bath or a shower doesn’t matter, the point is that you get clean the way that feels comfortable for you. As to when you take that shower, again, preference comes into play. The ideal thing would be to shower in the evening and then again in the morning, but many people don’t have extra time.

Essentially, your shower schedule appears to depend on whether you require more help going to sleep at night or if you need help with getting your body and mental juices flowing first thing in the morning. There truly is no wrong time of day to get clean.

Properly caring for your fingernails is a simple thing you can do to improve your appearance. You don’t have to go to a nail shop to maintain healthy nails. Proper nail care at home can enhance the look of your nails and support cuticle health, too.

Nails are made of keratin, which is a fibrous protein. You can improve nail and hand health by eating healthier and keeping nails neat and clean.

This article will focus on practical things you can do at home to optimize cuticle health. You will also learn some tips for obtaining healthier hands.

Ten Ways for Healthier, Stronger Fingernails (from the comfort of home)

You can skip the time and money you spend at the salon by caring for your nails at home. Here are some tips.

1. Trim Nails Neatly for Healthy Hands

Neatly trimmed nails are attractive. They also show others that you care enough about your appearance to stay well-groomed.

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, it’s essential to keep nails trimmed for health reasons, too. Your fingernails can house germs, dirt, and bacteria.

If you wear your nails too long, you run the risk of spreading diseases from your nails to your mouth whenever you eat or touch your face or mouth. Long nails can also spread germs from one person to another.

2. Avoid Synthetic Nails

Gel manicures make nails look shiny and pretty. A gel manicure is also long-lasting and doesn’t require much maintenance.

However, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists, gel nails can cause long-term damage to your nails. Constant use of gel nails could raise your risk of skin cancer and cause your hands to age prematurely.

Other side effects of gel nails are as follows:

• Nails become brittle
• Nails may split or crack.
• Peeling nails

Also, allow periods of rest for your nails in between gel manicures. You should also perform essential maintenance on your nails, especially when you’re getting gel manicures.

Here are a few tips if you still choose to wear gel nails from the salon:

• Request that your manicurist sterilizes all equipment.
• Do not allow your manicurist to cut or push your cuticles back aggressively. Light pushing of the tissue is okay, but if you feel pain or discomfort, ask your nail tech to stop. Damaged or cut cuticles makes you susceptible to infection.
• Apply sunscreen to your hands before your manicure. SPF 30 or higher helps prevent premature aging, and it reduces the risk of skin cancer.
• Do not peel off your gel polish. Instead, ask your nail technician to have the polish professionally removed.
• While removing gel nail polish, soak just your fingertips in the acetone. Placing your whole hand or entire fingers in acetone can irritate the skin.
• You could use cotton balls dipped in acetone to remove the polish. Press the cotton to the nail only, and then wrap each fingertip in aluminum foil. This wrap ensures that only the nailbed soaks in acetone. Wait about fifteen minutes, then peel off the foil.

3. Take a Break from Nail Polish

The right nail color can brighten up any outfit or fit perfectly with a particular season of the year. However, wearing nail polish all of the time can weaken your nails and jeopardize your healthy hands.

When changing your nail color, you should choose an acetone-free polish remover. You should also go through periods of several weeks in which you don’t use nail polish. This break gives your nails time to heal and strengthen.

4. Don’t Abuse Your Nails

Some people make a habit of doing difficult tasks with their nails. They may use their fingernails to pry open bottles. Some people also use their fingernails to scrape food off of plates when washing dishes.

Doing these tasks with your nails can cause them to become weak and brittle. When nails are weak, they split and sometimes crack. Rather than using your nails to pry into something, either use your hands or use a tool designed for the task.

5. Don’t Neglect Your Cuticle Health

The tissue of your cuticles can become dry and flaky, just like the skin on other areas of your body. Dry skin is especially common in cold climates. Still, regardless of where you live, you should be mindful of your cuticles. Do the following:

• Rub a regular skin moisturizer on your cuticles daily
• Do not cut your cuticles off. Doing so can damage your nails or allow harmful bacteria to infect nails.
• Use an acetone-free nail polish remover on your fingernails.

You should also wear gloves when doing household chores. For instance, exposing your nails and cuticles to water while washing dishes can dry out your hands. This habit makes your nails and cuticles more susceptible to breaking and flaking.

6. Eat a Diet Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

A diet rich in healthy fat, calcium, and protein can help support healthy nails. Lean proteins you to try include the following:

• Turkey
• Chicken
• Salmon
• Fish
• Shrimp
• Beans
• Soy products
• Plant-based proteins

To increase your calcium intake healthily, eat the following:

• Greek yogurt
• Milk
• Cottage cheese

To get healthier fingernails, you could also try increasing your intake of healthy fats. Healthy sources of fat include almonds, canola oil, and olive oil.

7. Don’t Bite Your Nails

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, there are several side effects of nail-biting. For instance, constant nail biting can damage nail tissue and cause nail soreness. Nail-biting also makes nails look unsightly and ragged.

When you put your fingers in your mouth, you can also transfer viruses and bacteria from your fingers into your mouth. This habit makes you more susceptible to illness.

8. Inspect Your Nails for Signs of Infection

Nail fungus is a common problem. It’s more common on toenails because fungus lives better in warm, dark places. However, some people get nail fungus on fingernails, too. To properly care for your nails, be aware of the signs of nail fungus:

• Yellow or white spots underneath the nails.
• Your nail(s) turn green, black, white, or yellow.
• Nails become thicker, making them harder to cut or trim.
• Nails curl upward or downward.
• Nails crumble when you touch them.
• Nails become brittle and break easily.

If you have nail fungus, over time, you may notice soreness in your nails. In severe cases, a person may wince when walking due to nail fungus pain. Some people are disgusted by the sight of fungus.

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of getting nail fungus. Consider the following guidelines:

• Only have your nails done at state-certified nail shops. Always ask what the nail salon does to sterilize the equipment.
• Change your socks daily, especially if you sweat a lot.
• Do not cut or tear away cuticles. Doing so can let germs into your skin.
• Do not share towels or nail equipment with anyone who has nail fungus. This practice may spread the infection.

If you do develop nail fungus, you can often treat it at home. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a fungal cream or lotion.

9. Keep Your Nails Clean

Whenever you wash your hands, you should also be sure to clean your nails. Scrub underneath the fingernails to remove dirt and grime. Dry your hands and nails carefully. Be aware that soaking your hands in water causes nails to become brittle.

10. Don’t Bite Your Nails

Nail-biting is considered a nasty habit for some people. It spreads germs to your mouth. Nail-biting also allows you to spread bacteria from your mouth to others when you touch them.

Aside from being an unpleasant habit, nail-biting comes across as a nervous habit. Some people will judge you as being anxious or dishonest based on fidgeting or biting the nails. Constant nail-biting may send the wrong message when you’re being watched closely, such as during a job interview.

Aside from making you appear nervous, nail-biting also makes your nails look ragged and ugly. You can damage your nail bed, too. Your fingertips might even become sore if you bite your nails too close to the skin.

While experts at the Mayo Clinic do not think nail biting can cause long-term nail damage, it can have short-term effects. For instance, it can damage the skin around the nail, which increases your risk of getting an infection. If your nails are hard and you bite heavily on them, you can also run the risk of damaging tooth enamel.

Final Thoughts on Maintaining Healthy Fingernails at Home

Healthy nails are considered attractive. If you want to make yours as beautiful as possible, keep them clean and neatly trimmed. Do not bite your nails. To prevent nails from chipping, do not use them to pry into items or scrape them across surfaces. Doing these basic maintenance tasks can help you maintain neat and healthy nails.