How Infrared Saunas Work Benefits of the Infrared Sauna

Traditional saunas raise the temperature of the air in order to warm the body. Infrared saunas work differently. Instead of heating the air within the enclosure, far-infrared (FIR) saunas emit wavelengths that heat the body directly. Because the rays are absorbed directly into the body, one can sweat at less intense temperatures than a traditional sauna (100 - 130° F. vs. 185-195° F.) All life requires FIR heat from the sun. FIR heat is not ultraviolet radiation but a narrow band of energy within the 5.6 to 15 micron level. This type of energy travels 2-3" deep into the body to increase circulation and nourish damaged tissue. The sun provides us with infrared rays or FIR energy. FIR heat in an infrared sauna provides all the healthy benefits of natural sunlight without any ultraviolet rays. To understand how infrared heat works, picture yourself outdoors on a summer day with the sun beaming overhead. Your body feels warm from the sun and you become hot. Then a cloud passes overhead, blocking out the sun. The temperature outside has not changed, but you feel cooler in the shade. Your body was being heated by the Sun’s infrared rays. Infrared heaters in the sauna warm the body in the same manner as natural sunlight. For years, the healthcare industry recommended infrared heat lamps as a source of FIR heat but the lamps were cumbersome, extremely hot and difficult to maintain at a constant temperature. The recent development of ceramic infrared heaters created a new and convenient source of FIR heat therapy in infrared saunas.