Infrared Sauna Benefits

Infrared saunas use infrared light to heat your body directly at lower temperatures, and promote deep tissue heating and relaxation. Also, they can be smaller and easier to install than traditional saunas, all while offering the same health benefits.

Keep reading and find out what the benefits of infrared saunas are.

Infrared vs. Traditional Saunas

Before we start naming the many benefits of infrared sauna therapy, we need to clear up the differences between traditional saunas and infrared saunas. Most people know about the traditional saunas or steam rooms, and infrared saunas are fairly new on the market. Let’s have a look!

How Do Infrared Saunas Work?

Infrared and traditional saunas don’t heat the body in the same way. Infrared uses (you guessed it) infrared light to heat the body directly at lower temperatures, and traditional Finnish saunas heat the air and then the body indirectly at higher temperatures. Your traditional infrared saunas are typically between 120-140°F (49-60°C), while traditional saunas can reach 150-195°F (65-90°C) (1).

Infrared light is a sort of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 780 nm to 1 mm, and it is emitted particularly by heated objects (2). Infrared saunas use infrared heating lamps to emit infrared light. Depending on the wavelength of the infrared light, we can separate three different types of infrared saunas (3):

• near-infrared (0.7–1.4 μm),
• mid-infrared (1.4–3.0 μm),
• far-infrared (3.0–100 μm).

The far-infrared saunas are also popularly called FIRs. These types of saunas use less energy to heat up, which makes them more energy efficient and causes fewer device breakdowns.

The infrared light that the infrared lamps emit is then absorbed by the skin and heats the body directly, allowing for deep tissue heat penetration. This is the key difference between infrared and traditional saunas, as traditional saunas can only heat the air and cause you to sweat indirectly.

The Benefits of Infrared Sauna Therapy

Infrared saunas share the very same benefits that saunas offer in general, but they come with some additional benefits as well. Keep reading to find out more.

Deep Tissue Heating

Infrared saunas work by using infrared light to penetrate the skin and heat the body directly, rather than just warming the air around you. This red light sauna therapy allows for deeper tissue heating, which can promote muscle recovery, reduce stiffness, and improve circulation more effectively than traditional saunas.

This deep tissue heating penetrates up to 3–5 cm beneath the skin, stimulating circulation, muscle relaxation, and metabolic activity (4).

Chronic Pain and Fatigue

Infrared sauna therapy has been shown to help individuals dealing with chronic pain conditions like:

• fibromyalgia,
• arthritis,
• long-term fatigue.

The heat can ease muscle tension, reduce inflammation, and increase blood flow. Not only can red light sauna therapy help with chronic pain, but it can also improve the quality of life for those who suffer from chronic pain. This is one of the best infrared sauna benefits!

Far-infrared saunas were a central point of a study published in the Internal Medicine Journal in 2008 (5). Namely, thirteen female patients with fibromyalgia were subjected to Waon therapy. This is a combination of far-infrared sauna therapy (maintained at an even temperature of 60 degrees C for 15 minutes) and lying down in a heated room (26-27 60 degrees C) wrapped in a blanket for half an hour. The patients received Waon therapy once a day for 2 or 5 days a week.

The results showed that all patients experienced a significant reduction in pain by about half after the first session, and the effect of Waon therapy became stable after 10 treatments. This shows that heat therapy, especially combined with far-infrared saunas, is a great way to manage chronic pain.

Heart Health

Again, like traditional saunas, infrared saunas also improve heart and vascular health. This is because both types of saunas help you heat up and sweat, widening and exercising your blood vessels.

A 2002 study found that sauna use significantly improved endothelial and cardiac function, both of which are key to enhancing tissue recovery and cardiovascular performance (6). However, some studies have shown that saunas help the heart more when the temperatures are higher. This would mean that traditional saunas favor cardiovascular health more (7).

Mental Health

There aren’t many scientific studies researching the influence of infrared saunas on mental health, but it is well known that saunas in general heavily benefit and improve mental health (8).

One clinical trial from 2016 showed that one session of infrared heat, delivered through infrared lights to the whole body, significantly improved depressive disorder for 6 weeks (9). Using an infrared sauna will allow you to clear your mind and enjoy the sauna detox effects for the brain.

Comfier and Less Pricey

The air inside infrared saunas gets less hot in comparison to traditional saunas, which means it’s a little bit more comfortable to use. This is especially valid if you can’t stand the heat or steam even for a shorter period.

Also, infrared saunas are, in comparison, less expensive than traditional saunas. If you ever decide to purchase and install a sauna in your home or work space, consider the price as well. If you choose the FIR sauna, it will probably last longer than the other types of infrared saunas, making it cost-effective in the long term.

Possible Downsides of Infrared Saunas

Like traditional saunas, infrared saunas can have some downsides too. Because their role is to warm you up and make you sweat, there is a risk of overheating and dehydrating if you stay too long.

Read our guide on sauna use to find out what the ideal duration of usage is:

• Best Time To Take A Sauna

Some people may experience skin irritation or mild burns, especially if they fall asleep, stay too long, or accidentally touch heated surfaces or infrared panels. However, this only happens rarely.

If you suffer from photosensitive conditions or take medications that increase light sensitivity (like certain antibiotics or acne medications), be a bit more careful and consult your doctor before using the infrared sauna.

Furthermore, if you decide to purchase an infrared sauna for your home, always purchase from reputable manufacturers and follow the safety instructions closely. Poorly designed and installed devices can cause electrical hazards, functional inconsistencies, or structural failures.

Conclusion

Infrared sauna therapy offers a range of health benefits, from pain relief and improved circulation to better mental well-being. Also, it comes in a more comfortable and affordable package than traditional saunas. While generally safe, it’s important to use them mindfully and consult a healthcare provider if you have any medical conditions. Used properly, infrared saunas can be a powerful tool for better health and relaxation.

If you’re more of a visual type and want to see an infrared sauna in action, have a look at the video below. Dr. Taz Bhatia, US-based and board-certified medical doctor and nutritionist, explains what she finds to be the best benefits of infrared saunas. She even shows what an infrared sauna looks like and how she uses it!

Explore more about saunas and other types of thermal therapy on our blog:

• When should you go to the sauna to maximize benefits?
• How does sauna use aid in detoxification?
• Why does using a sauna improve sleep quality?
• Why Should You Wear a Sauna Hat During Your Sauna Session?

Literature sources:

1. Möllmann, K.-P., & Vollmer, M. (2010). Chapter 2 – Flow Visualization. Infrared Thermal Imaging: Fundamentals, Research and Applications. 2 Wiley.
2. Sugahara Y., Ishii M., Muta H., Egami K., Akagi T., Matsuishi T. Efficacy and safety of thermal vasodilation therapy by sauna in infants with severe congestive heart failure secondary to ventricular septal defect. American Journal of Cardiology. 2003;92(1):109–113. doi: 10.1016/S0002-9149(03)00483-1.
3. Pan S, Gallo Marin B, Ragi SD, Lim RK, O’Connell KA, Libby TJ. Popularity of infrared saunas and potential dermatologic risks: A Google Trends analysis. Clin Dermatol. 2023 Nov-Dec;41(6):789-790. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.10.003. Epub 2023 Oct 12. PMID: 37838356; PMCID: PMC11149784.
4. Vatansever, F., & Hamblin, M. R. (2012). Far infrared radiation (FIR): its biological effects and medical applications. Photonics & Lasers in Medicine, 1(4), 255–266. https://doi.org/10.1515/plm-2012-0034
5. Matsushita K, Masuda A, Tei C. Efficacy of Waon therapy for fibromyalgia. Intern Med. 2008;47(16):1473-6. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.47.1054. Epub 2008 Aug 15. PMID: 18703857.
6. Kihara T, Biro S, Imamura M, Yoshifuku S, Takasaki K, Ikeda Y, Otuji Y, Minagoe S, Toyama Y, Tei C. Repeated sauna treatment improves vascular endothelial and cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002 Mar 6;39(5):754-9. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(01)01824-1.
7. Laukkanen T, Khan H, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):542–548. [doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724?_gl=1*1i12m1t*__gcl_au*NDI4NDI5MjM4LjE3NDcxNTgwNTY.)
8. Laukkanen T, Laukkanen JA, Kunutsor SK. Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study. Med Princ Pract. 2018;27(6):562-569. doi: 10.1159/000493392. Epub 2018 Sep 2. PMID: 30173212; [PMCID: PMC6422146.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6422146/?_gl=1*wm5628*__gcl_au*NDI4NDI5MjM4LjE3NDcxNTgwNTY.)
9. Janssen CW, Lowry CA, Mehl MR, Allen JJ, Kelly KL, Gartner DE, Medrano A, Begay TK, Rentscher K, White JJ, Fridman A, Roberts LJ, Robbins ML, Hanusch KU, Cole SP, Raison CL. Whole-Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):789-95. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1031. Erratum in: JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):878. PMID: 27172277.