Is infrared sauna good for skin conditions? There’s no simple answer, if for no other reason than that there is such a wide variety of skin conditions. They can range from garden variety acne to the bewildering psoriatic arthropathy of The Singing Detective. (The singing detective was the main character in an acclaimed 1986 British television mini-series. In his appearances on the screen, his horrifying skin condition made him resemble a pizza. The series was based in part on the disease once suffered by its author, Dennis Potter.)
The Wikipedia article, “List of Skin Conditions,” describes 36 different types, many of which include dozens of different conditions. So it is overly simplistic to say infrared sauna is good for skin conditions. But it might be helpful for some of the most common ones: acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. Let’s chat about those.
Infrared Sauna for Acne
I have written before about infrared sauna for acne — here, most recently. I believe infrared sauna fights acne in three ways: it cleanses follicles by making you sweat, it fights inflammation, and it relaxes you, thus helping to balance hormones. If you follow the link above (and follow the links in the blog post it leads to), you will also find some scientific research to back up my contention.
Infrared Sauna for Rosacea
I found a forum discussion of infrared sauna at the Rosacea Support Community. It’s more anecdotal than scientific, of course. But it stands to reason that if infrared sauna fights inflammation it will be useful against rosacea, which is an inflammatory condition. A caveat is that rosacea sufferers sometimes react negatively to heat, so the sauna could be uncomfortable. Note, however, that infrared sauna isn’t as hot as conventional sauna, so it may be easier to manage.
Infrared Sauna for Eczema
There are many varieties of eczema, and there has been very little research on far infrared (the infrared in an infrared sauna) as a treatment for it. But we know that infrared sauna improves circulation to the skin and that it increases collagen production, both of which may be helpful in managing eczema. In addition, eczema sufferers generally find the condition is exacerbated by stress, and as I noted before, infrared sauna induces relaxation and reduces stress.
Infrared Sauna for Psoriasis
I found a forum discussion on far infrared and psoriasis in the “Psoriasis Community” at a website called Inspire. Infrared sauna has generated a great deal of interest there. Of course, anything that comes out of that discussion is going to be anecdotal. But it’s important to remember that infrared sauna fights systemic inflammation and that it has been shown to be useful against autoimmune disorders. Psoriasis ticks both those boxes.
Why Infrared Sauna?
So I believe that infrared sauna is useful for some of the most common skin conditions. And it also has a number of other health benefits. Infrared light is not visible to the human eye, but it can act on your body in other ways. As a far infrared device, Peak’s infrared sauna radiates energy that can penetrate up to 1.5 inches below the surface of the skin. It turns out that radiating cells below the surface of the skin energizes those cells, reducing fatigue, improving blood flow, and flushing waste products.
Why not book a session today?
