To understand the benefits of an Infrared heat Sauna, let’s start off by defining what infrared radiation is. Infrared radiation produced by an Infrared Heat Sauna, also referred to as IR, is a type of radiation that exists within the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength of Infrared Heat Sauna radiation is slightly longer than that of red rays. In other words, if we could see infrared rays expelled by the Infrared Heat Sauna, they would appear on the spectrum just before or after the color red.

So, what type of benefits does Infrared Heat Sauna radiation offer its sauna bathers? Proponents of the Infrared Heat Sauna claim that the benefits can improve health, expel harmful body toxins, and decrease weight. Dr. Oz, who appeared on the Oprah show earlier this year, explained of some of the Infrared Heat Sauna health benefits. The Infrared Heat Sauna uses the same rays that come from the sun, but the harmful UV radiation is filtered out. That way the user of the Infrared Heat Sauna only receives infrared radiation, which makes it safe. The radiation emitted by the Infrared heat Sauna penetrates the skin, and causes your body to heat up. The air temperature around you in the Infrared Heat Sauna doesn’t heat up like in conventional saunas, which is one of the benefits.

Other benefits of the Infrared Heat Sauna include burning calories as your body heat rises. The claim is that infrared heat can penetrate the body better than other sauna systems because rays from the Infrared Heat Sauna have the ability to penetrate, refract, radiate and reflect. These properties of infrared rays allow for deep tissue penetration that in turn relieves sore joints and muscles. This deep tissue penetration from an Infrared Heat Sauna causes blood vessels and capillaries to dilate lowering the blood pressure, allowing improved blood circulation. As you sweat in the Infrared Heat Sauna, your body also releases toxins and metabolic wastes.

Traditional saunas tend to cultivate bacteria in the hot moist air, whereas the air in an Infrared Heat Sauna tends to be drier. As a result, people with respiratory issues find it easier to breathe in an Infrared Heat Sauna because of the drier air. People with vitamin deficiencies also receive added benefits from Infrared Heat Saunas, because it is so similar to the sun’s rays but without the dangerous effects of solar radiation. The Infrared Heat Sauna is also used for plain relaxation, and it is a great stress reliever.

It usually only takes 10-20 minutes for the Infrared Heat Sauna to heat up compared to over an hour with the conventional types. The Infrared Heat Sauna also uses less energy because it only heats your body and not the surrounding air. The Infrared Heat Sauna prices can range from about $200 (for the infrared portable sauna) to over $10,000 (for the elaborate finished 3 person infrared sauna).

There are people out there trying to get on the Infrared Heat Sauna bandwagon, and are making claims that you can quickly lose weight and improve your health. While it is evident that there are many health benefits to using an Infrared Heat Sauna over conventional traditional ones, they should not to be considered an overnight cure all. However, when trying to decide what type of sauna is best, the Infrared Heat Sauna does appear to offer more benefits than the traditional types.