Infrared Saunas

This sauna without steam may release the full power of heat to improve your health

An infrared sauna is a sauna without the steam. One infrared sauna manufacturer compares its effect to that of the sun, but without the burn (and the potentially harmful ultraviolet rays). This type of sauna is a small room of healing, soothing warmth-- the same concept as comforts newborn babies in hospital nurseries.

Traditional saunas heat the air. In comparison, infrared radiation heats objects (including people) directly, the way the sun can warm you even on an otherwise cool day. Because an infrared sauna actually heats the body, and the heat penetrates the skin, many devotees of infrared saunas claim that they are a much better way to sweat out toxins and stimulate health.

How does this help?

Infrared sauna manufacturers and aficionados claim heating the body this way comes with a host of health benefits, although the Creighton University School of Alternative Medicine reports that no such claims have yet been proven by scientific method.

Resonant absorption of infrared rays by the body's cells is said to help excrete fat-soluble toxins, metals, and chemicals, and speed healing. The heat is said to penetrate the body's muscle tissue and organs, helping healing and overall health. (Raising the body temperature for a short time may mimic the effects of fever, one of the body's best defenses .)

The sun would be good for us, if not for the harmful UV rays. Infrared saunas take the sun-like heat and combine it with the benefit of sweating, provided by the traditional sauna's enclosed structure.

Using infrared radiation as a health benefit

German doctors have used infrared radiation therapy for several decades, and Japan's Dr. Tadashi Ishikowa patented a zirconia ceramic infrared heater in 1965. By 1979, the concept reached home use in Japan, and by the early 1980s, infrared saunas began to appear in America.

Why choose infrared?

Fans of infrared saunas will tell you that because they heat the skin, and do so deeply, these saunas are much more beneficial for your health. Because they use radiation instead of steam, these saunas don't suffer from all of the concerns that come with water - pipes, bacteria, etc. Meanwhile, you may sweat even more in a "dry" sauna, burning more calories, losing more toxins, and pumping that heart.