Why frequent flyers should skip the steamy shower post-flight

Travys Carinci typically logs almost 60,000 air miles monthly, crisscrossing Australia for work. But the veteran airline operations manager skips steamy showers upon returning home from grubby planes and airports despite yearning to scrub off germs. Why forgo a steamy shower? The health of the human body’s largest organ – the skin. “I skip overly hot showers which, even though it is tempting after a long flight, is a surefire way to dry out your skin,” Carinci revealed to Condé Nast Traveller, urging cooler cleansing for frequent flyer skin integrity.

After inevitably contacting dubious surfaces and strangers gate-to-gate for hours, travelers instinctively take bee-line showers to rinse worries away. Yet Carinci argues scalding water risks robbing skin of natural fortifications essential for protection from future threats. Research affirms stripping surfaces through heat dismantles lipid barriers, keeping hydration and irritants out. Dermatologists caution marathon scrubbing at extreme temperatures will dismantle the skin “microbiome” – beneficial bacteria naturally residing on bodies. This microscopic community prevents infection incursions and activates the immune system against swelling and disease.

Destroying microbes through scorching showers handicaps health at its frontline. Beyond internal impacts, gushing hot flows dehydrate hide themselves by dissolving oils, lending pliability and moisture. Flushed fluids carry away sunscreens and other safeguards as well. The resulting coarse, dry, stripped skin then absorbs toxins faster while cracking painfully around joints. These vulnerabilities enable conditions like eczema or acne to emerge seemingly mysteriously after lengthy travel, subjecting the skin to extremes.

Peeling, itching, and inflammation seem indirect byproducts of arduous voyaging but are traced directly to thoughtless tub routines. Restoring ravaged dermal defenses post-jet lag demands cooler temperatures that therapists consider infinitely more soothing despite instinct crying for scalding steam therapy. Seattle dermatology provider Dr Julie Russak advocates ending showers once they sense a slight chill. Lingering where steam no longer rises maintains microbiome integrity.

Better yet, Russak endorses full cold water cleansing to supercharge circulation and metabolic health, too. Beyond skin impacts, experts confirm brief cold exposure triggers the release of stimulating hormones while enhancing moods otherwise hampered by stale airplane air. But even modest thermal adjustments pay dividends for frequent flyer skin sensing accumulative damage from repeat travel stress. Gradual geographic and climate shifts disturb natural balances, while grimy aircraft cause untold exposure.

Reviving equilibrium afterward hinges on supporting microbiology, not assaulting it. So fight the urge to boil germs away after escaping airborne tubes, veterans implore. Resist scrubbing worries down the drain through scalding catharsis. And remember, the body’s barriers don’t emerge from bottles but balance carefully cultivated over eons – balance a short steamy shower can disrupt for distressing years. Treat the foundation beneath the surface, and cosmetics become secondary.