Jan '24 • General discussion
Lesson #9: Why is my skin so red after a cold plunge?
Red skin after a cold plunge is the sign of “alive” skin.
That’s how Wim Hof describes it at least.
Some veterans say the sign of a good plunge is red skin.
When you immerse your body in cold water, your body's natural response is to try to maintain its core temperature by constricting blood vessels in your skin and extremities to reduce heat loss.
But when you get out of the cold water, all of that changes. You might even notice that the parts of your body that were submerged are red.
The reddening of the skin is a natural response to cold water immersion and is caused by the increased blood flow and dilation of blood vessels near the surface of the skin. This increased blood flow helps to warm the skin and prevent tissue damage from prolonged exposure to cold water.
While generally the reddening of the skin is seen as a positive side effect, it is important to watch out for rashes as there are certain people who are susceptible to something called cold urticaria.
These are hive like rashes that sometimes will break out on the skin following a cold plunge.
I’ve personally known people who get these and still cold plunge. They can be treated with creams, and I’ve also been told that heat therapy such as the sauna can also help. The other way to avoid them is to simply plunge into slightly warmer temperatures such as 50-60f.
That said, it’s only about 1 in 100,000 people that get true cold urticaria.
Enjoy that lobster vibe as a sign of healthy blood flow!
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Lesson #9: Why is my skin so red after a cold plunge?
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