Your Body: The effects of taking a cold shower

getty_4417_showerhead

iStock/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

Searches for “cold showers” on Pinterest are up 75 percent, according to the online forum, as users look to improve their skin and even their metabolism. But does it really work?

Cold water will constrict blood vessels and tighten pores, which can have the effect of giving your skin a nice healthy glow. And in places like Finland, winter swimming is very popular. People there believe taking a cold dip three to four times a week improves your mood and overall well-being.

Here’s my take: If you like the physical and psychological jolt of a cold shower or plunge, go for it. Medically, the risk is incredibly low for the vast majority people who would limit their chill time to just seconds or minutes.

Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

g_sleepapnea_063025973349

Climate change is making it harder for us to sleep: Study

Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images (NEW YORK) — Rising temperatures, amplified by climate change, are contributing to an increase in cases of sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops during sleep, according to a new study published