InfraRed Sauna & Red Light Therapy

InfraRed Light has been linked to muscle recovery, muscular pain-relief, detoxification, weight loss, relaxation, immune system support, improved circulation and blood pressure as well as clearer and tighter or more youthful looking skin. Most benefits have been demonstrated through small studies, but still require further study for scientific significance. On the bright side, InfraRed is so safe it’s even used to warm newborns, as well as in rehab, so there seems no downside.

So how is all this possible?

InfraRed Light penetrates below the surface of the skin, and warms both tissue and water within the body directly. Because InfraRed warms the body directly and does not heat the air around you, it is a lot more tolerable for sensitive skin types than traditional saunas. How deep the different wavelengths of InfraRed penetrate seems open to interpretation, but it seems Near InfraRed generally penetrates into the epidermis, with the depth of energy transfer getting deeper as wavelengths increase into the Mid and Far InfraRed range. I wish all websites presented the same information, but there are a number of sites listing the opposite, however they are usually sellers of specific Near InfraRed Therapy units. As such, we consider that information biased. As more information becomes available, we will update accordingly.

Starting with Near-InfraRed, core benefits are similar to Red Light Therapy, and in fact work best when combined with Red Light Therapy. Collagen production and distribution are improved, resulting in firmer, tighter and more toned skin creating a more youthful appearance as wrinkles can be reduced. The treatment generally requires multiple treatments for visible results.

Mid and Far InfraRed penetrate more deeply warming muscles and other tissue thereby stimulating blood flow causing one’s heart rate to increase, thereby mimicking exercise and burning more calories. However, as muscles are not being directly stimulated as with intense exercise, toxins are being flushed through the improved circulation instead of being created by typical tissue breakdown. This helps muscle recovery and pain-relief as well as detoxification as toxins are released through profuse sweating. And if that weren’t enough, slightly raised body temperatures aid the body’s natural defense against infection, helping kill bacteria and virus alike.

Regarding relaxation, well, if you like being warm and laying down, we’re sure you’ll find things relaxing. (As long as you don’t think about work..)

Red Light vs. Infrared

Sometimes the terms Red Light Therapy and Infrared are used interchangeably, however they are definitely not the same thing. Red Light Therapy involves the use of the visible red light spectrum which causes energy to be released only into the epidermis, thus stimulating blood flow within the skin. Mitochondria within the cells are also stimulated, creating a positive effect on energy levels and on collagen and collagen distribution within the skin. Wrinkles, fine lines and skin plumpness can all be improved. Although Near-IR is next to Red Light within the light/energy spectrum, it penetrates more deeply into the epidermis than Red Light. More heat energy is delivered increasing the detoxifying as well as healing effects. Combining Red Light with Near-IR increases skin healing and anti-aging effects much more effectively than using them separately.

Mid and Far-IR complete the infrared spectrum, and penetrate more deeply into muscle and tissue as written above. These are definitely not related to Red Light Therapy in any way, other than to both compliment and add further benefits.

In summary, Red Light alone has some anti-aging benefits, but will not promote much detoxification, as only a little heat is absorbed into the skin. Of course, Red Light Therapy can be combined with Infrared Saunas/therapy, creating the mutual benefits of anti-aging within the skin, as well as detoxification, weight loss and muscle recovery benefits. And this, is why we added our InfraRed Anti-Aging SpaCapsule that combines all the benefits provided above, as well as oxygen, anti-aging serum infused steam and vibratory massager to push the benefits even further. So why limit yourself to just one therapy, when you can maximize your benefit from the combination of all of them?