The idea of using a sauna for relaxation is nothing new, but another category of sauna bathing is growing in popularity: infrared saunas.
An infrared sauna is a type of therapy that uses light to heat your body, explains Kelly Simms, ND, a doctor of naturopathic medicine in Chicago. But this light is infrared, which exists on the nonvisible light spectrum, she says.
Infrared sauna therapy is different from traditional Finnish (dry heat) sauna bathing, which heats the air to higher temperatures, ranging from 150 to 195 degrees F. In a dry sauna, your body warms up from the hot air circulating it. Finnish saunas have the most research behind them, and they may improve heart health and quality of life, among other possible wellness perks.
While infrared saunas are in the same general category as dry-heat saunas, they operate using nonvisible light, so the air inside stays at a relatively comfortable 110 to 120 degrees F, Simms says.
And because an infrared sauna slowly builds heat, you can stay in it longer than a traditional sauna. The proposed health benefits come from the fact that infrared heats your body directly, and the warmth penetrates more deeply than traditional saunas.
At present, more research still needs to be done on infrared sauna therapy to fully understand all the potential health benefits, especially considering that dry heat and infrared might not affect the body in the same ways. Still, there is some research providing evidence that infrared sauna bathing may support the health and wellness of some individuals.
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