Dermatologist explains why people need to clean showerheads on a monthly basis

Having a nice warm shower after a tiring day might relax our muscles and ease our tension a bit. But after coming across this dermatologist's video on TikTok, people might not treat their bathtime in the same way again. Certified dermatologist Scott Walker - who goes by @denverskindoc on TikTok - has made some startling revelations about what else passes through our showerheads along with water. He claims to have learned this little-known information from a dermatology conference.

The skin specialist recommends people clear their showerheads in their bathrooms at least once a month to rid them of the dirt and bacteria that build up inside them. "We should be washing our showerheads, and you know why?" he begins the video. "Biofilms." Walter then explains that biofilms are bacterial colonies that reside inside the showerhead. While one is taking a bath, these bacteria enter the air and can enter the lungs, affecting your skin.

"When you shower, those bacteria, yeast and fungi get aerosolized, converting to a fine spray," the dermatologist continues. "Those can get into your lungs, they can affect elsewhere on your body too." Then he gestures towards his background, where he presents a list of skin conditions and other illnesses that people can end up suffering from if they do not clear their showerheads often. "Malassezia: Scalp; Acanthamoeba: Ocular; Pseudomonas: Ears; M. Avium: GI tract; Lehoonella/Mycobacterium: Lung; Folliculitis and post-op infection," the list details some of the medical issues that may arise.

Several TikTok users expressed their concern by stating that they have one more thing to clean in their house now. Others were simply shocked by this information as they left their comments and also shared some personal hacks for cleaning showerheads. @jameswisemagic exclaimed: "I'm surprised I'm still alive today, to be honest." @thatscwazy_games joked: "Here I was the other day just letting the water collect into my mouth for the fun of it."

@sja870 advised: "Soak the showerhead in vinegar for half an hour up to several hours, depending on how much build up there is on the outside. Will clean the inside too." @thesonofrising wondered: "So, if it happens to your showerhead, then why not the entire pipe and water line? So, how is cleaning the head going to help." @zzzlpr gave a solution: "Plastic bag with vinegar. Kill the germs and remove the hard water residue." @mimi19mimi39 chimed in and commented: "Makes perfect sense. Mine tend to break so often that I replace them. Thanks doc, good info."

According to a study by the American Society for Microbiology, it was discovered that bacteria are present in shower heads and people can inhale aerosolized mycobacteria while showering. Even though metal showerheads hold a lot more microorganisms than plastic ones, Walter revealed a cleaning solution that can eliminate the bacteria's presence in his follow-up video using some white vinegar. Shower heads should be cleaned at least once a month, which the average person fails to do or forgets about it, as reported by The Shower Head Store.