Using these saunas offers many health benefits. However, before we discuss more about their major health advantages, we must mention their types. They are mainly of two types-heat/steam saunas, and infrared saunas. The latter being a more advanced and a better option.
Saunas in general offer total body relaxation, alleviation of body aches, weight loss, stress relief, relief from skin conditions that result from accumulation of toxic metabolites in the body or under skin such as acne, increased blood flow across various body parts and so on. Infrared saunas offer all these benefits with the use of infrared waves that penetrate the body tissues more widely as compared to the older steam saunas. Moreover, steam saunas offer less protection against the harmful effects of excessive exposure to steam (heated water at 100 degree Centigrade).
Infrared sauna and far infrared saunas utilize infrared waves that offer direct heat to the body and therefore offers more benefits in a lesser time when compared to the conventional steam-based saunas that utilize indirect heat generation from the heating up of water, and its flow through the air currents to penetrate the body tissues. The result is, users can have up to 80% of the generated heat penetrating their body with infrared saunas, which is only 30-40% in steam saunas.
Briefly, saunas offer a great health benefit without major side effects because they are a safer, natural approach towards health.
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Readers planning to buy a sauna should beware of the so-called infrared saunas, most of which are made in the PRC (China) from inferior materials. These are not genuine saunas in the Scandinavian style.
In the traditional heater, the heating elements heat the air and a mass of stones. This allows for a consistent heat and the custom of sprinkling water on the stones, which changes the environment in the sauna dramatically from a dry sauna bath, to a wet bath, or “steam sauna”. This is an option afforded to the sauna bather that chooses a traditional Scandinavian style sauna. Remember, it is not necessary to sprinkle water on the stones, and without that custom the humidity in the sauna is very, very low (around 2 or 3 percent).
The infrared heaters have exposed heating elements, so that the heat radiates directly onto the bather in sort of a one sided fashion. These infrared heaters have a much lower capacity, so the most common complaint is that they fail to attain the heat typical for a genuine sauna, especially on the part of the body turned away from the heater.
You also sacrifice the ability to sprinkle water on the heater, and one must question whether it’s actually healthy to expose one’s self to such direct radiation, or how enjoyable such an experience is, compared to the traditional sauna.
In contrast, the traditional Scandinavian style saunas are centuries old (they were heated with wood before electricity), and their safety and therapeutic efficacy is well established.
As with tainted toothpaste, poisonous pet food, deadly drywall and lead painted children’s toys, some of these infrared saunas are downright hazardous at least according to the Electrical Safety Authority in Ontario, Canada. See…
http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/english/Fire%20Safety%20&%20Public%20Education/Recalls/2006/Saunas.asp
Sauna by Airwall, Inc. even recalled their saunas due to a fire hazard caused by faulty heating units and fuses. See…
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08584.html
There are some unbelievable claims circulating about infrared saunas. One regards weight loss – 600 to 800 calories burned from sitting in one! Weight loss claims for any type of sauna are just hype. Your body just loses water, and it’s dangerous to lose weight through dehydration. See what a real doctor says about it at…