MANY of us multitask in the shower.
We might shave our legs, wash our face, brush our teeth – some might even choose to have a cheeky wee.
Cutting corners by having a wee in your shower might not be the best idea
Whether or not it’s safe to relieve your bladder while standing under your shower has long been a matter of debate.
Here, we defer to experts to resolve this discussion once and for all, and debunk four further myths about you can and can’t do in the shower.
Can I pee in the shower?
Experts have argued that peeing in the shower could weaken our pelvic floor and bladder control.
According to Dr Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, relieving yourself under a stream of water could make you associate the sound of running liquid with the need to wee.
This could eventually lead to little leakages when you least expect them, like at the water cooler at work or when you go through a car wash, she said.
But GP and founder of wellbeing platform Wellgood Wellbeing, Dr Zoe Watson, disagreed.
Speaking to Stylist, she said there was no evidence that peeing in the shower can affect your pelvic floor.
But whether in the shower or somewhere else, Dr Watson said you should definitely avoid weeing if you don’t really have the urge to, as this can lead to bladder dysfunction.
“If you create a routine where you are peeing when you don’t quite need to – the ‘just in case’ wee we all do before a long car journey, for example – then your body can start wanting to empty your bladder before it’s full,” she explained.
Prof Stergios Doumouchtsis, a leading expert in urogynaecology based at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, told The Sun that while it’s ok to do it on a circumstantial basis, “it starts affecting the bladder when you do it always”.
“For example if you’re a school teacher and you go habitually every hour between each class. This can result in a change to the bladder function.”
“The bladder won’t necessarily become anatomically smaller. But functionally it is smaller.”
It can take as little as two weeks for the bladder to become more sensitive.
But the good news is there are various techniques to train the bladder to get used to holding more volume of urine, with some people seeing improvement in just a few weeks.
Is it ok to brush my teeth in the shower?
Whether it’s to save time or water, many of us choose to kill two birds with one stone and brush our nashers in the shower.
Dentist Katie Davies told Stylist that she brushes her teeth in the shower every day and that she was a proponent of the practice because “tagging brushing to something you’re already doing means you’re more likely to do it consistently”.
But Payal Bhalla, lead dentist and clinical director of Quest Dental, said combining these two tasks may not be the best thing for your health.
The warm water could break down your toothbrush bristles, making it less effective.
And using the same water source to clean both your mouth and body could lead to unwanted germs going into your mouth – especially if you share a bathroom with someone else.
Should I wash my face in the shower?
Dermatologists have warned that shower water could be too hot to use on your face, leading to dryness and dehydration, Stylist reported.
But they determined that if it appears to be working for you, then keep on doing what you’re doing.
It’s better to wash your face in the shower than not at all.
Is it a good idea to shower before bed?
Sliding into crisp, clean sheets after you’ve freshly showered is a pretty heavenly feeling.
But sleep experts have warned that it’s a good idea not to shower right before you intend to hit the snooze button.
Instead, try and wash yourself an hour and a half before you plan to hop into bed.
A 2020 study found that taking a warm shower 90 minutes before bed can help people nod off 50 per cent faster – and increase their total sleep time by 15 minutes.
Is shower sex a good idea?
If movies or TV shows are anything to go by, getting it on in the shower can be pretty steamy.
But experts have been quick to burst that bubble.
“Shagging in the shower could be dangerous, purely from the point of view that it’s so easy to slip and hurt yourself,” Dr Watson says.
If you do choose to have indulge in some shower sex, clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist Janet Brito said a non-slip mat will be your best friend.