How a Far-Infrared (FIR) Sauna Works

The feeling of warmth that we get from the sun comes from the sun's natural infrared energy. Infrared saunas use the same spectrum of invisible light energy to safely warm your skin and body tissues. Infrared should NOT be confused with UV light waves from the sun which are responsible for sunburns and skin damage. As noted, far-infrared light waves are completely natural and absolutely safe. In fact, far-infrared heat is so safe, it is used in hospitals to warm newborn infants.

Far-infrared light waves are part of the sun's natural invisible light spectrum. Infrared waves can't be seen, however, they are responsible for the feeling of warmth we experience when we are exposed to sunlight. To get an everyday example of how far infrared heating works, picture yourself outside on a sunny day - when you're standing in a shadow, you feel cooler than when you're standing in direct sunlight. The air temperature around you hasn't really changed, but when you are in the sunlight you feel the heat from the infrared waves of the sun. Infrared should NOT be confused with potentially harmful UV rays, which can cause sun burns and have been linked to skin cancer. In fact, Infrared allows you to enjoy the warmth of the sun without the harmful affects of the sun's UV light spectrum.

One of the most important characteristics of far-infrared waves is their ability to penetrate body tissue. When this happens, they create a natural resonance (vibration) that warms the tissues and will eventually cause us to sweat in the same manner as we would if we were exposed to the high heat of a traditional sauna.

An infrared sauna uses one or several infrared heaters to generate far-infrared energy that gently warms your body directly through natural resonance in the same manner and biological process that allows you to feel warmth from the sun, as opposed to heating the air around your body (like a traditional sauna). Only about 20% of the energy produced by an infrared sauna goes into heating the air. Accordingly, less energy is wasted, and deep tissue heating and profuse sweating is accomplished at far lower temperatures, making the infrared sauna much more comfortable than a traditional sauna. As a result, people susceptible to cardiovascular/breathing problems that might be exacerbated by the high heat and humidity of a traditional sauna, can safely enjoy therapy for a greater duration of time. Furthermore, this manner of tissue warming penetrates deeper, thereby providing greater benefits than conventional saunas.