A multitude of well-known brands and celebrities, like Goop, Vogue, Selena Gomez, and Lady Gaga, have promoted infrared saunas. Fans regularly point to a range of benefits – from weight loss to improved mental health.
But can you trust the hype?
In this article, you’ll get all the info on infrared saunas. First, we’ll describe what infrared saunas are and the types of saunas available. Then you’ll learn the evidence behind whether infrared saunas can help you with inflammatory conditions, skin appearance, pain, and more.
What are infrared saunas?
Saunas are heated rooms that people sit in to benefit their health and wellbeing. They often bring to mind inhabitants of countries like Norway and Finland, gathered in steamy, wooden rooms surrounded by snow. Or, you might have tried one out at a hotel, spa, or gym. Regular saunas use hot air or steam to heat the room to between 150°F and 195°F (65°C to 90°C).
On the other hand, infrared saunas use infrared light to heat your body via your skin directly. Infrared is a type of light that isn’t visible to the human eye. It’s a type of electromagnetic radiation, like x-rays, visible light, and radio waves, and makes up half of the sun’s beams.
Infrared light penetrates and heats your skin before the air around you. As a result, infrared saunas tend to operate at slightly lower temperatures than other types of sauna, usually between 100˚F to 150˚F (37°C to 65°C).
There are two main types of infrared light. “Near” infrared is infrared that is closest to visible light on the light spectrum. In contrast, “far” infrared is closer to microwaves than visible light on the spectrum.
Are infrared saunas safe?
Let’s get the serious stuff out of the way. If you’re healthy, infrared saunas are unlikely to cause you any harm.
If you saw the word “radiation” and got a little bit worried, that’s understandable. But not all radiation is harmful. There’s radiation around us all the time, and every human body gives off a little bit. Around half of the sun’s rays are infrared light.
In addition, most doctors believe eye protection is unnecessary during infrared therapy. That said, the heat from a sauna carries a small risk of eye damage. It’s best to check the specific product or sauna you’re using for guidance on eye care.
Further, consult your doctor before trying an infrared sauna if you have any of the following medical conditions:
- Heart conditions
- Blood pressure issues
- Pregnancy
- Taking medication
In addition, it’s a good idea to hydrate well before using a sauna. And avoid alcohol before going in.
Next, you’ll get a rundown of the different types of infrared saunas available.
What are the different types of infrared saunas?
Infrared saunas come in a few different shapes and forms. Here’s a rundown of the most common types:
- Infrared Sauna Rooms: Some gyms, spas, and other health facilities offer infrared sauna rooms. The rooms are lined with infrared lamps that release infrared light.
- Home Sauna Kits: Various home sauna kits are available. For example, there are small shed-like infrared sauna rooms that you can buy to install in your home. Cheaper options include infrared blankets, portable sauna “boxes” that you can fold away, and futuristic-looking dome saunas.
- Infrared Lamps: Buying an infrared lamp is the cheapest option. Infrared lamps are single applications that emit infrared rays. It’s unlikely these lamps will heat your whole body at once – however, you can target specific areas.
- Other infrared products include massagers, jacuzzis, and even heating vests.
It’s recommended that you start slow and only sit in the room for around ten to twenty minutes on your first try. But you can build up to as long as an hour. Nevertheless, always check your product’s manual for usage recommendations.
Next, we’ll take a look at the evidence backing infrared saunas.
Benefits
There’s growing evidence that saunas have valuable health benefits. For example, they can stimulate the immune system, help with chronic health problems, and even extend your life.
But is it worth buying or regularly using an infrared sauna? Let’s take a look at what the evidence suggests.
Stress, Depression, and Fatigue
Life is stressful. Even without a full-blown pandemic, there’s work and bills and that weird clunking sound your car’s started making that you really should get looked at. So, finding something that helps to relieve pressure is always cause for rejoicing.
Infrared saunas are relaxing for many people. You can enjoy quiet time, without your cell phone, and finally take a deep, warm breath. In one survey, relaxation and stress reduction was a central reason for general sauna use. The participants also wrote that using saunas improved their sleep quality.
What’s more, people with chronic fatigue syndrome reported less fatigue, anxiety, and depression after using an infrared sauna for fifteen minutes for five days a week over four weeks.
Joint Pain and Inflammation
Many chronic conditions and lifestyle choices cause inflammation in our bodies. And it only gets worse as we get older.
Far-infrared light may be an anti-inflammatory therapy. One study found a small benefit for individuals with inflammatory conditions. Thirty-four participants had eight infrared light sessions over four weeks. They reported less pain and stiffness during the treatment (but little benefit long-term).
Pain
About one in five people suffer from chronic pain. On top of that, a shocking eighty percent of women suffer from period pain during their lifetime. Infrared therapy can help with menstrual pain. Another study observed an improvement in lower back pain with a daily far-infrared light treatment of at least forty-five minutes over four weeks. Lastly, infrared therapy may help with fibromyalgia pain.
However, a short, one-week study on chronic neck pain reported that infrared only helped to reduce muscle stiffness, not pain reduction.
Skin
Many companies state that infrared sauna therapy can treat unwanted skin features like cellulite, wrinkles, and pigmentation.
But how truthful are their claims?
Cellulite causes dimples that form in surface fat that can be seen on skin. It primarily affects women and is incredibly common. Infrared therapy may help reduce cellulite. However, the study was small and also introduced a treadmill routine that may have affected the results.
A study of twenty people found improved skin color tone and texture after daily infrared sauna treatments over six months. The researchers suggested that this could be due to increased collagen and elastin production after treatments. Unfortunately, participants didn’t report any benefits in hyperpigmented areas.
However, there are concerns that infrared light may damage collagen and that instead of its penetration into skin being a good thing – it can cause damage and inflammation at deeper layers. It’s likely that IR does more damage in combination with ultraviolet light, which are the rays from the sun that cause skin damage and sunburn.
Post-exercise
Saunas are staples at gyms worldwide. So how do infrared saunas hold up?
Not only are infrared saunas relaxing after a workout, they’ve also been shown to help with that post-exercise soreness.
Usually referred to by scientists as “delayed onset muscle soreness,” next-day “burn” is caused by tiny tears in muscles during exercise, which causes inflammation. So infrared therapy might make you feel a little better after workouts.
Heart disease and Blood Pressure
Taking care of our hearts is central to our health and longevity. And there’s some evidence that infrared therapy might help us do that.
One study discovered that repeated sauna therapy was not only safe but aided patients with chronic heart failure symptoms and exercise tolerance. Another study backed up these results, discovering that arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms) was improved in patients with chronic heart failure.
Weight Loss
Studies show that overweight people have an increased likelihood of chronic illnesses and lower life expectancies.
One small study observed participants spending thirty minutes in an infrared sauna five times a week over eight weeks. The participants using the sauna lost about 0.5% body fat each week, building up to 4% in the eight weeks. The control group, who weren’t using infrared therapy, didn’t lose anybody fat.
Conclusion
Research about the benefits of infrared saunas is still emerging. But the studies that have been published paint a promising picture.
All in all, infrared saunas are a safe way to relax after a long day. However, everyone’s different, and it’s essential to listen to your body and consult your doctor before jumping into the hot seat.