Q&A for How to Take a Shower

Most of the time, the shower is your best choice because it's faster, cheaper (unless you take really long showers, less water is used) and often cleaner (no bath grime). However, there's nothing like a lovely warm bath with bubbles to help you to relax and feel good. If you're concerned about bath grime, use a handheld shower to wash yourself down once standing up from the bath.

Yes. Leaving your back unwashed can lead to a build up of dirt. Not only will this look bad on any open back tops, but this can lead to breaking out (bacne). Consider using a back scrubbing brush if you're finding it hard to reach all of your back, or a twisted hand towel to roll up and down the back.

Anywhere you feel is necessary. Usually, it is best to apply lotion to areas that usually have dry or irritable skin. It is healthy and soothing to do so.

Yes! Washing yourself with cold water has many benefits, including: alertness, stimulating weight loss, easing stress, and even relieving depression.

Sing in the shower or dance a little! Don't get too carried away, though, or you might slip and hurt yourself.

For most people, washing every two days is sufficient for keeping your hair clean. Washing more than this can actually strip your hair of necessary oils and cause damage or dryness in the long run.

Your hair will become greasy and stringy, or will have a bad scent. It's normally best to take a shower every day, but wash your hair every other day.

Yes, leaving conditioner on a few extra minutes can help make your hair softer and healthier. If you want to leave the conditioner in after the shower, deep condition instead.

Shampoo does not need to be left in the hair. Just massage it into all of your hair and rinse it out.

Yes, although most people tend to wash their hair first because the dirty soap and water will run down your body. If you wash your body first, it might feel as if you are unclean again. But ultimately it's up to you how you want to wash your body.

Yes, but in general this is unnecessary and could result in your hair drying out and breaking. If you start to experience any issues with dryness and breakage, drop to once a day or once every other day.

As long as you wish. But keep in mind that the longer your showers are, the higher your water bill will be.; heating water is one of the highest sources of energy costs in a household.

The same as an adult. Make sure to wash your hair with shampoo and wash your body with soap or body wash.

Sure! It is actually good to get your hair wet every day, though not always using shampoo and condition on it. Cool water in your hair is good for it and for your scalp.

Unlike shampoo, conditioner is gentler and won't damage your hair by stripping the oils from it. However, it isn't usually necessary to use it more than once, as it can build up and leave a greasy film on your hair, which isn't pleasant to the touch and can cause hair to look lank and lifeless. Whether or not it does that will depend on the conditioner and your hair texture. You will also spend a lot more if you go through your conditioner quickly, so it's not ideal for the budget-conscious.

Of course! It doesn't really matter when or where you shave, but sometimes the shower is easier because there is running water there. Also if you shave without water, be sure to use shaving foam as it can cut easily otherwise.

Whatever you prefer. Some people like the feel of a wash cloth, while others find it's just a nuisance and the hands are perfectly sufficient. Try both and determine what you feel comfortable with. There is no "one is better than the other" answer.

You can put on a shower cap, which is easily found at a store. Or, if you do not want to put on a shower cap, you can simply tie it into a bun and keep the water away from your hair.

Cold water will help seal the hair follicles and make your hair shiny. For some people, cold water also helps make their hair soft.

It is always better to shampoo first because it does the cleaning. The conditioner is a post-clean item, for adding softness and any other features, such as volume and detangling. It would be back to front if you did it the other way around and you'd lose all the benefits of the conditioner as the shampoo stripped these out.

Use a gentle soap, preferably one made for the face. You could also not soap it in the shower but clean it separately at the basin later.

Whichever you prefer. Showering in the morning can help you wake up and feel fresh, but might not be ideal if you don't have much time in the morning, don't want to blow-dry your hair (assuming it doesn't have time to air dry before you have to leave the house), or just would rather sleep a little longer. Showering at night can help relax you before bed, ensure you go to bed clean, and get the showering out of the way earlier - but again, it could just not fit your schedule well, and going to bed with wet hair could also be annoying. You might also find that your hair looks better when you wash it the same day vs. the previous night, or vice versa.

It depends. If you tend to sweat a lot or get dirty throughout the day, you should at least bathe your body every day (even if you don't wash your hair). However, if you tend to stay pretty clean most of the time, you would be fine showering every other day.

If it is a regular conditioner, rinse it our after massaging it onto your scalp. If it is a leave-in conditioner, leave it in. It should say on the bottle.

Ring your hair out first, then pat it dry to avoid creating frizz.

You could try a detangler spray, or brush your hair before you shower. There are specialized brushes for this problem, and remember to brush tangles out of the bottom before moving up.

Some people may want to improve their showering habits.

Any order that you feel is comfortable is fine. It is healthy to do them all, however.

Conditioner should be left in your hair for about one to three minutes.

A regular conditioner (as opposed to a deep conditioner) should be left on your hair for at least one to two minutes before rinsing. Deep conditioners should be left on for at least five minutes.