A FAR Infrared Sauna is a sauna that employs FAR infrared light to heat you up instead of using conduction (through the hot wood) or through convection (heated air or steam.)  

Infrared light is part of the sun's invisible spectrum.  Our visible spectrum as humans goes from red up through violet, the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.  Infra-red means "below-red" just like ultraviolet (UV) means "above-violet." A FAR Infrared Sauna uses the far part of the infrared spectrum.  Our infrared sauna emits waves between 8-11 microns.  The human body best absorbs infrared at approximately 9.4 microns.  In either case, infrared or ultraviolet, we cannot see what appears in that part of the light spectrum.  

 

These two parts of the spectrum, though they are both invisible, have very different effects on the body.  Ultraviolet (UV) light has been associated with many health risks whether it is from laying out in the sun too much or from going to tanning salons.  Infrared light is the exact opposite end of the light spectrum and is associated with many positive and healthful effects. 

 

Has there been any research or studies about FAR Infrared Saunas?

For years, the average consumer's familiarity with FAR-infrared came from the use of infrared heat lamps - which produce radiant heat.  In the mid 1960's NASA discovered that a number of mineral oxides were also capable of generating FAR waves.  NASA began utilizing FAR in the 1980's as an effective way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning for astronauts during long space flights. 

 

Over the past 25 years, Japanese and Chinese researchers and clinicians have conducted extensive research on infrared treatments and report numerous benefits.  An infrared society has been established in Japan, composed of medical doctors and physical therapists, to further research and support the health benefits of radiant infrared therapy as a method of healing.  

 

How is a FAR Infrared Sauna different from other saunas?

Regular saunas heat the skin superficially with a high wattage heater, causing opening of the sweat glands and allowing excess water to escape.  The 180-degree-plus heat of the air in the sauna room heats up your lungs very quickly and shocks the body.  Because the FAR penetrates to a depth of 5-7 cm or 1.5 inches, your sweat glands are pouring out water even before the core body increases to the point of discomfort.  At the depth of 1.5 - 2 inches our fat cells are stimulated which causes a release of toxins to the surface.  

 

Compared to other saunas which only heat 20% of the air, 93% of the heat energy emitted from a FAR infrared sauna is absorbed by our tissues, the reason is that the energy emitted by the FAR is very easily absorbed and assimilated by our bodies.  The extreme heat of regular saunas can dry out your skin and mucous membranes (nasal passages, throat and eyes.)  

 

 How hot does it get and how long do I have to stay in there?

Our FAR infrared sauna operates at a maximum of 150 degrees as opposed to a traditional sauna which can be as hot as 190 degrees or more.  Even though the temperature is cooler (and more comfortable) you will probably sweat more than you ever have before.  The radiant FAR infrared rays penetrate into your body and heat you up from the inside out.  

 

How does a FAR sauna increase detoxification?

Your skin is the largest organ of your body.  The subcutaneous fatty layer is located just below the skin.  An infrared sauna emits rays that penetrate into the tissues to a depth of 1.5 inches.  This heat stimulates our fat cells to release the accumulated debris that they have been holding on to.  

 

The infrared sauna also stimulates the sebaceous glands to release harmful toxins such as petrochemicals, mercury and other heavy metals.  Since humans are bio-accumulators, toxins that cannot be expelled immediately after entry are stored in our bodies.  One of the reasons infrared saunas are so beneficial with a variety of different illnesses is the ability of the FAR waves to accelerate the removal of toxins that are often at the core of many different health challenges. 

 

When toxic substances encounter large H²0 molecules in our body, they are encapsulated by water clusters.  This accumulation of toxins blocks blood circulation, oxygenation, nutrient supply and waste removal.  When the FAR emitted by an infrared sauna hits these water molecules, they begin to vibrate.  As the bonds which hold clusters of H²0 molecules together are dissolved, the toxins they are holding are released. 

 

The specific wave range of a the FAR infrared sauna is 7-14 microns, the frequency that H²0 resonates with.  This resonance releases all manner of toxins such as Sulphur, formaldehyde, heavy metals and more.  The increased depth of penetration provides pain-relief, detoxification and increased circulation. 

  

How safe is the FAR infrared sauna?  Are there any side effects?

The FAR infrared sauna is completely safe.  This is the exact opposite end of the spectrum from ultraviolet (UV) waves and is nothing like microwaves.  UV overexposure has repeatedly been shown to be bad for your skin whether from regularly going to tanning salons or laying in the sun until you burn.  

 

FAR infrared waves are the healthful part of going into the sun.  We all need a bit of sun exposure for vitamin D production and other reasons.  But when we get too much exposure, the UV damage far outweighs the infrared benefits.  With an infrared sauna you can gain the beneficial exposure and not be exposed to the UV at all. 

 

 How much water should I drink?  Can I become dehydrated?

Plenty.  We'll have special echo hydrogen enriched water available for you both before and after your session.  We haven't seen anyone become particularly dehydrated while in the infrared sauna or afterwards because everyone tends to drink plenty of water.  Theoretically, if you spent an excessive amount of time in the infrared sauna you could become dehydrated, but nobody has had that issue. 

  

How often can I use the infrared sauna?

For some folks who are particularly toxic or unhealthy, once or twice a week might be all they can handle.  That being said, most people that are looking to do some cleaning out like to use the saunas 20 minutes, three times a week during a serious cleanse.

 

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Detoxification

Since the skin is our largest organ, it plays an important role in eliminating undesirable toxins. Some physicians refer to the skin as a third kidney. The deep penetration of our Far-infrared saunas' infrared technology allows removal of toxins stored in fat cells. Detoxifying in a West Coast Sauna helps rid your body of potential carcinogenic heavy metals such as mercury and lead, as well as alcohol, nicotine, sodium, sulfuric acid and cholesterol. Cleanse your body with ease.

 

Psoriasis and other skin conditions:  According to many forms of holistic medicine, psoriasis and many other skin disorders actually originate in the liver.  When certain toxins are ingested, the liver does not have the ability to break down, metabolize and excrete the toxins.  The toxins are sent to the skin for elimination via sweat.  When the toxins hit the cells just below the skin, the body overproduces skin cells by a factor of 10,000.  The toxins come out on the dead skin cells.  By sweating regularly and profusely, the toxins are eliminated via the sweat and sebaceous glands as opposed to through the shedding of skin.  The dramatic increase in circulation to the skin that comes with infrared sauna use is also a major factor in      toning, tightening and rejuvenating the skin.

 

Beautification of Skin: Do you want to improve the tone, texture and elasticity of your skin? By sitting in an Infrared Sauna, the increased blood circulation to the skin brings fresh nutrients to the surface. At the same time, profuse sweating is assisting in the removal of toxins that accumulate deep within your pores such as make-up, dirt, lotions and conditioners. Look and feel better with your Far-infrared sauna.

 

Tissue Elasticity: The warmth of your West Coast Sauna will relax your muscles, increase flexibility and range of motion. Studies show, tissues heated to 130° and then stretched have exhibited an elastic elongation that persists long after the stretch is removed. This was not the case when the same tissues were stretched at normal tissue temperatures. Therapeutic benefits were also seen in working with ligaments, tendons, fascia, joint capsules and symposiums that have become scarred, thickened or contracted. Improve flexibility beyond your expectations.

 

Cancer Therapy: Some researchers believe that infrared therapy can help stimulate the body's immune system by elevating body temperature. Many viruses, bacteria and tumor cells are thought to have poor tolerance to heat compared to normal healthy cells. A 30 minute infrared sauna session can cause a temporary 3° increase in body temperature. This increase has been shown to stimulate white blood cells which may improve your body's immune system. Given the human body's effectiveness in fighting disease by inducing a fever, an infrared sauna can assist the body in the fight of various diseases.

 

Chronic Inner Ear Infections: Infrared sauna therapy sessions can open nasal passages and therefore assist the sinuses in draining and preventing speed of infection to the middle ear.

 

Weight Issues: As you bask in the comforts of a far-infrared sauna, your body is actually hard at work attempting to maintain a constant core temperature. Our body does this by increasing peripheral blood flow and by sweating. In Guyton's textbook of Medical Physiology, it states that 1 gram of sweat requires 0.568 kcal to produce. An average sauna user can produce 500 grams of sweat and burn 350 calories during a therapeutic sauna session. This is the equivalent of running 2-3 miles. Our infrared saunas can also help rid your body of cellulite which is a gel like substance made up of fat cells, water and wastes. Feel those extra pounds melt away.   

Being in a hyperthermia state due to the increased core body temperature increases blood circulation, especially to the capillaries, converts fat and increases heart rate.  It is possible to burn 300 - 600 calories in a single session in an infrared sauna.  Some infrared sauna proponents claim that a 30 minute sauna session is equivalent to jogging or rowing for thirty minutes.  The removal of heavy metals that were contributing to metabolic imbalance and weight gain can also improve the basal metabolic rate and normalize body weight.  The decrease of toxins stored in the subcutaneous fat goes a long way towards increasing a feeling of lightness in the body and willingness to exercise.  Also increasing circulation and oxygenation to the glands improves their health and their ability to keep the body balanced.

 

Heart Disease: Studies done at the Mayo Clinic in the 1990's were performed on 37 congestive heart failure patients.  All 37 displayed improvement and some even got off their medications after 6 weeks of low heat infrared sauna therapy.

 

Infrared heat therapy is one way to achieve cardiovascular conditioning effects even without exerting yourself. During a sauna session, vasodilatation of peripheral blood vessels occurs which increases heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. This provides a workout for your heart as the body attempts to cool itself in diverting blood from internal organs to the extremities and the skin. Research suggests that regular infrared heat therapy has been beneficial in reducing blood pressure. Relax and get your heart in shape.

 

Arthritis: In our infrared sauna, the model most therapeutic studies have been performed with, you are surrounded by the carbon heating element which produces the FAR infrared waves.  This allows the heat to penetrate deeply into the joints and muscles to break up lactic acid deposits and to increase circulation to the joint capsules which accelerates soft tissue repair and increases the suppleness, flexibility and pliability of the connective tissue.

 

Asthma: During the 1980's infrared sauna therapy studies demonstrated that industrial chemical exposure was alleviated in about 4 weeks.  Some regular infrared sauna aficionados claim that inhaler use dropped from 3x / week to 3x / year.

 

Fibromyalgia: (chronic pain disorder): Many holistic doctors and more and more traditional medical doctors are beginning to      believe that these types of patients have a very large toxic burden.  It is also the case that for many of them, the liver (the major detoxification organ) and the kidneys (the major organ of filtration and excretion) are not functioning   optimally.  Oftentimes when their toxic load begins to lighten up, many of their symptoms begin to decrease.  The infrared sauna is invaluable for accelerating heavy metal and petrochemical excretion.

 

Pain Relief: The infrared energy released by an Infrared Sauna can penetrate up to 1.5" deep into muscle tissue. 93% of this energy is absorbed through our skin. By heating these tissues, we experience a vasodilatation of peripheral blood vessels which can be beneficial in reducing muscle spasms, joint stiffness and achiness, as well as general aches and pains due to conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. There is also evidence that when used 24-48 hours post injury, far infrared energy can reduce the time it takes for your body to heal sprains and strains. 

Experience a reduction of pain and swelling almost overnight.