Precautions Before Soaking
1. Before entering the hot spring, you should remove any metal jewelry you’re wearing, as it may react chemically with the minerals in the hot spring water, causing the jewelry to discolor.
2. Do not enter the bath on an empty stomach or when overly full to avoid symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, indigestion, or fatigue.
3. Patients with high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases may soak in hot springs if they are taking medication regularly or have received doctor’s approval, but each session should not exceed 20 minutes. Also pay attention to the following:
Before entering the water, slowly wipe your body with the hot spring water to allow your body to adjust before fully entering, to prevent affecting the normal constriction of blood vessels;
When exiting the water, rise slowly to prevent dizziness or fainting caused by vasodilation and blood pressure drop, which could lead to falls, strokes, or heart attacks.
4. Cancer and leukemia patients should avoid hot springs, as the heat may stimulate metabolism and accelerate physical decline.
5. Diabetic patients may soak in hot springs if their blood sugar is well controlled and their physical condition is stable. If blood sugar is unstable, excessive sweating in the hot spring may cause dehydration and affect blood sugar levels.
In addition, most diabetic patients have peripheral neuropathy, resulting in abnormal sensations in the palms and soles, reduced temperature sensitivity, and a risk of scalding without realizing it during prolonged soaking.
6. Patients with skin wounds, ulcers, or fungal infections such as athlete’s foot or eczema should not soak in hot springs to avoid contaminating the water and worsening their conditions.
People with allergic skin conditions should also avoid soaking in high-temperature hot springs to prevent heat-induced acceleration of moisture evaporation and disruption of the skin's protective barrier, which may trigger hives.
7. Women should avoid soaking in hot springs during or around menstruation, as well as in the early or late stages of pregnancy.
8. When suffering from sleep deprivation, staying up late, malnutrition, or recovering from a serious illness—essentially any state of physical fatigue—it is not advisable to soak in hot springs to avoid sudden exposure to high temperatures that may cause cerebral ischemia or shock.
9. It is best not to soak alone in case of emergencies.
Precautions While Soaking
1. When entering the water, start from the lower temperature and gradually move to higher temperature pools, soaking for about 15–20 minutes at a time.
2. The duration of your hot spring soak should be determined by the water temperature. At higher temperatures, do not soak for too long to avoid symptoms such as chest tightness, thirst, or dizziness.
3. Drink plenty of water while soaking in the hot spring to replenish fluids lost through sweating.
4. While soaking, pores on your face release a large amount of free radicals that can damage the skin. It is best to apply a facial mask or use a cold towel on your face, close your eyes, meditate, and practice slow, deep breathing to truly relax your body and mind.
5. If you feel unwell while soaking, leave the hot spring immediately and do not force yourself to continue.
Precautions After Soaking
1. Generally, there is no need to rinse off after a hot spring soak, but if you’ve been in strongly acidic or hydrogen sulfide springs, it’s best to rinse to avoid skin irritation or allergic reactions.
2. After soaking, keep warm, dry your body quickly—especially areas like armpits, groin, around the navel, and skin folds on limbs—and apply moisturizing lotion promptly to lock in skin moisture.
3. After a hot spring soak, the body loses a significant amount of moisture through evaporation, so drink plenty of water to rehydrate.