The body when you come in from the cold

Short answer: When you come in from the cold, it takes around twenty minutes for your body to adjust. During that time you can both feel cold and start to sweat. It helps to take off your outer layer straight away, but wait a little with the rest.

Blood has to return to the extremities

Out in the cold, the body draws blood in towards the core to protect the most important organs. Hands, feet and skin get less, which is why they get cold first. When you come in, the body has to send the blood back out, and that does not happen in an instant. A thin, soft base layer makes the change calmer. See bamboo tank tops for men.

Why you feel cold at first

The first minutes indoors can feel colder than outside. Your body is still saving warmth, and your skin is cool. Moisture from rain, snow or sweat may also sit in your clothes and cool you further. It is tempting to strip off and sit by the radiator, but let your body settle at its own pace. See bamboo sweatshirts for men.

And sweat ten minutes later

Once the blood is back in your skin, the warmth arrives suddenly. If you are still wearing thick layers, you start to sweat, and your clothes get damp from the inside. If you go out again later, damp clothes are colder than dry ones. So it pays to shed layers as the warmth returns. See the men's range.

Take the outer layer off straight away

Your jacket, hat and scarf did their job outside, but indoors they mostly hold on to the cold and moisture from the trip. Take them off as soon as you are in, and hang them up to dry. Keep the innermost layer on for the first few minutes. It holds the warmth you have without giving you too much when the warmth comes back.

Wait a little with the rest

When you have been inside for a while and notice you are getting warm, it is time for the next layer. Many people take the jumper off too early and get cold again, or too late and sweat. Pay attention to your neck and back. If they start feeling damp, you are ready to take off another layer.

Change damp clothes

If you got rain or snow on you, or sweated on the way home, change the damp clothes. Damp clothing keeps cooling you, even indoors, and makes the adjustment take longer. A dry, soft base layer and a pair of dry socks often do more than a hot drink and an extra radiator.

Warm your hands slowly

It is tempting to warm very cold hands and feet quickly under hot water or against a radiator. But your skin is often numb after the cold and cannot tell how hot it is. Use lukewarm water, or let them warm up in your own hands or in the pockets of a soft jumper. It takes a little longer but feels better.

Dress for the trip home

If you think about the trip home when you get dressed in the morning, the change becomes easier. Choose layers that are easy to take off, such as a zip jumper or a loose sweatshirt over a T-shirt or tank top. Then you can adjust in the hallway instead of changing completely every time you come in.

Frequently asked questions

Why do you feel cold right after coming in

Because your body is still saving warmth. It takes a few minutes before it stops drawing blood in towards the core and sends it back out to the skin.

Why do you sweat shortly after

Because the blood is then sent back to the skin, and the warmth comes faster than your body can regulate. With thick layers still on, your clothes get damp from inside.

What should you do

Take off the outer layer straight away, but wait a little with the rest. That way you avoid both feeling cold and sweating, and your clothes stay dry for the next trip out.