a little and a lot

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

HSA (Hot-Showeraholics Anonymous)

My name is Jesse Faris and I am a hot-showeraholic.

For me, my addiction is not so much about the length of the shower, but the temperature. I like the water to feel scalding when I first jump in. I like for the steam to open up my stuffy nasal passageways. I like for my cold feet to feel like they're burning off. I like for the heat to relax my muscles. (I just read in this month's Real Simple that water conducts heat 40% faster than air!)

However, this addiction has consequences. Red splotches (especially on my neck...it looks like I have hickies!) for about 30 minutes post-shower. Dry, rough skin. Sleepiness. (If I take a hot bath, it always makes me tiiiiired.) Dehydration (which is just ironic!). Just recently, I've started getting really dry, rough patches on my cheeks. Undoubtedly attributed to the winter air and...my hot showers.

This addiction not only hurts me...it hurts others too. Nick can't stand my preferred water temperature. Our hot water heater works extra hard for me. Extra fog in the bathroom only makes the towels start stinking sooner. (I'm sorry if Oprah washes her towels twice a day...I don't!) If I stay in extra long, there is no hot water left to wash the dishes. Poor, poor dishes...

I've decided it's time to stop. I can't compromise my health, the happiness of my family, and our finances all for my hot showers. It's time to give them up. I don't think I can handle doing it cold turkey. Cold showers just aren't for me. I will have to dial it down a little every day. Maybe I could get one of those facial scrubs/masks that heats itself up when you rub it on your face. Better yet, there's probably a patch for this--I could stick one of those self-heating pads on me while I take my showers. Maybe I could install a heat lamp right over my shower. MAYBE I could get a hot tub in the backyard so I wouldn't NEED hot showers!

Any ideas for rehab or just plain combating dry skin are welcome!


Katie Land said...

I completely agree... i love hot showers. Why don't you put a fan in the bathroom and adjust your hot water heater so the hot will last longer.. then put on lotion or even better, body butter, when you get out. There, no more problems. You can continue the hot showers.

Ashley @ pure and lovely said...

yea....my showers are so hot, I had a hard time doing mild ones for aiden when he was born. I was like oh, thats not hot, and it was. ooops. No burns took place, at least in that arena. And Oprah doesnt wash her towels every two days. she has them disposed of, and then purchases new egyptian cotton sets. boooo.

Anonymous said...

The hotter, the better. In fact, if I always have a water tan when I get out. Supa, I struggle with getting Clayton's water cool enough b/c of my hot water addiction. And Greg and I never take romantic showers because he can't stand the water so hot and I can't stand it any cooler. Oh well. At one of my mental health conferences they were discussing self-injurious behaviors and mentioned scalding hot showers as a form of self-injury. Made me worry that I was into self-abuse.

Julie said...

You and Charles could be kin. He is the same way! We have a bench in our shower and when he gets home from the gym in the mornings he just sits down under the hot water. AND he takes his bowl of cereal and drink in there with him, which I think is weird and gross. I usually get the lukewarm shower after his 10+ minute fogging of everything within a mile shower. And then his back is all splotchy and pink. My skin gets so dry I am an in and out type girl.

Unknown said...

This morning I actually got out of bed before Chris, and consequently, got the first shower. I don't take long showers, though they are fairly warm. So then Chris took his shower and afterwards he said "I have to apologize." I never turn down an apology, but I couldn't imagine what he had done. Turns out he finally realized what I always suffer through as the second shower-er. Lukewarmness. NOBODY likes that.

Larissa Smith said...

I only like a really hot shower when it is good and cold elsewhere. Otherwise, I prefer a nice warm one. My rehab advice would be to keep it short (your first paragraph says you're not hooked on the duration).

However, I am a fellow dry skin sufferer. As such, I would be willing to swear by Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion and Dove Sensitive Skin Facial Lotion. Love 'em, especially the Aveeno!

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