Have you been confused about whether you should ice your big red zit down to nothing, or use a warm compress on your skin to draw the infection out? Us too. Using both heat and cold are go-to therapies to boost skin health, but knowing when to use what is key. We asks pros across philosophies—Ayurveda, K-Beauty and traditional dermatology for their take.
What do cold and hot temperatures do to the skin?
Dr Taruna Yadav, senior Ayurveda expert, Forest Essentials breaks down the significance of different temperatures on the skin. “Hot temperatures or heat therapy increases the blood flow in the skin, allowing oxygen and nutrients to move through blood vessels which is essential for the regrowth of damaged tissue and for the stimulation of fibroblasts.” Heat is also known to increase the skin permeability, which results in better absorption of the skincare products to reach deeper into the layers of the skin.
On the other hand, cold therapy promotes vasoconstriction (shrinking the blood vessels), which leads to a change in the blood flow and causes the muscles of the face to constrict. “It works like an astringent and may cause your skin to retract briefly and create a unique workout for all the structural building blocks of the face,” she she confirms.
