The Origin and Benefits of Dry Sauna

Saunas originated in Finland and the word ‘sauna’ in Finnish means ‘sweathouse.’ They started as a way to relax and enjoy some hot environment in cold, freezing weather, which Scandinavia is well known for. Dry saunas also originated in Finland and are still very popular there. As the name implies, dry saunas have very little humidity, which causes your body to sweat much more than when there is steam, smoke or the use of infrared technology.

The dry sauna offers the same benefits that the other saunas do but in a much clearer and cleaner environment, because it does not have any smoke or steam crowding the room. This is usually a good thing for those who suffer from claustrophobia or want to have a social gathering in a sauna session. If you are accustomed to regular saunas, however, it may take a few sessions of using a dry sauna to get used to it.

What You Should Know Before Using a Dry Sauna

Dry saunas offer many benefits such as cleansing the body through excessive sweat that will open and clean the pores however, it also increases the metabolism, causing your heart rate to speed up. It also has the potential to cause high/low blood pressure and those that are suffering from any heart disease should avoid it. If you are taking any medications affect your blood pressure, cause drowsiness or relax the muscles, you should not get into a dry sauna unattended. Pregnant women and unattended children should stay away from any saunas.

All types of saunas dry the skin and dehydrate the body through intensive sweating, therefore it is very important you drink plenty of water while in the sauna and after to ensure your body is well hydrated. Also you may want to use a moisturizer in order to help the skin hydrate on the exterior as well. One should not have more then three saunas a week for the same reasons of keeping your body and skin hydrated. Also, although opening your pores to cleanse them is a good thing, opening them too often may actually cause more dirt and bacteria to enter, thereby irritating the skin, especially facial skin, and causing more harm than good.