Editor’s note: responses have been edited for length and clarity.
How do infrared saunas work? What makes them different from a regular sauna?
Whereas a traditional mist or other kind of sauna [heats you from] the outside in, infrared saunas slowly warms you up from the inside and sweats everything out that's not pure energy. While traditional saunas use heat to raise the air temperature inside, infrared saunas use infrared light to heat your body. We like to say that it's detoxing for the body. You are sweating from the inside out. You'll see a lot of red light therapy around where it's all very concentrated with a mask or a gun. [In the sauna] you get to sit in the session and get a full-body red-light treatment.
Can you give insight on what overall benefits infrared saunas provide?
It's a supplement to your workout so you get additional calorie burn after your workout while also recovering from your workout. So, you're doubling down your calorie burn, but you're also recovering at the same time. The red-light therapy is another huge aspect of it, not just the infrared. The red-light therapy is an actual medical grade, dermatologist-approved [treatment] that's good for your skin. Any kind of inflammation you have, any kind of blemishes, [red-light therapy] helps you rejuvenate and makes your skin look younger.
It also helps your cardiovascular system; it gets the blood flowing. Some people have even mentioned that their doctors have recommended doing it for lowering blood pressure. Just like how your body needs to fight off the heat like if you have a fever, these sessions help fight off impure toxins inside you.
Outside of infrared and red-light therapy sessions, are there any other light therapies people should know about?
Within this sauna, there's three different benefits: infrared lights and heat, red-light therapy and chromotherapy, which is a stress reducer and helps with the mental and stress aspects [of a person’s health.] You can do different mood lightings with different sounds just to help relax, which helps improve sleep. That was one of the first things I noticed after using the sauna for the first time; I slept very well that night. And Perspire Sauna Studio offers the SNØ Shower in some of the saunas, as well. It is a shower that is 45 degrees for 45 seconds. Hot-to-cold [therapy] has been going on forever and it also helps with circulation. We have now added it [to some sauna rooms] and we're one of the first studios to roll out those SNØ Showers.
Are there any risks associated with infrared and red-light sauna sessions?
For the average person, we haven't seen any negative effects. If a person has some kind of medical issue, such as really high blood pressure, consult your doctor. It’s also not recommended for pregnant women.
What should people know if they are testing out an infrared and red-light therapy session for the first time?
Be prepared to sweat. Bring water and be prepared to hydrate before and after your session. It's a great experience. You have to be willing to take a little bit of heat, but you get to adjust the temperature to your own speed. If you want, you can go down to 115 degrees. That's where we say the benefits start. You can go all the way up to 170 degrees, as well. Pick your favorite TV show and burn some calories and sweat out. We'll have your cold eucalyptus towel at the end and just be prepared to get comfortable.
