When to Shower After Infrared Sauna?

Posted on by Myron Dallas

What is an Infrared Sauna

An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that uses light to create heat. This heat is absorbed directly into your body, which causes your core temperature to rise and causes a deep, detoxifying sweat. It also has many other health benefits, such as improved circulation and increased metabolism.

Let’s discuss what an infrared sauna is and when to shower.

Benefits of Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas provide numerous health benefits. Some of these include:

  • Increased circulation
  • Pain relief and muscle relaxation
  • Removal of toxins
  • Improved skin conditions
  • Weight loss
  • Improved cardiovascular health
  • Mood enhancement

Compared to traditional saunas, which use steam heat to create extreme temperatures of around 190-220oF, infrared saunas utilize light technology to create much lower temperatures (80-150oF) that penetrate up to 1.5 inches deep into the skin and body. This type of heat is more comfortable yet effective in many ways. Benefits are often experienced more quickly with regular use as it penetrates deeper into the muscles and tissue than a traditional sauna’s steam.

Infrared sauna therapy also encourages increased blood flow. In addition, it can aid in reducing inflammation throughout soft tissues in the body by creating an oxygen-rich environment in which toxins can be released naturally through the skin’s sweat glands while at the same time replenishing beneficial oxygen to newly formed cells within the body’s tissue. Over time, this can help reduce or eliminate signs of acne, eczema, psoriasis, and cellulite and improve overall skin clarity and tone for healthy-looking skin with long-lasting results.

It is recommended that after using an infrared sauna session that you shower or rinse off so that the sweat from your session does not remain on your skin for prolonged periods, allowing bacteria to harbor inside your pores leading to potential breakouts or other adverse effects on your complexion due to its intense nature for a thorough detoxification process.

When to Shower After the Infrared Sauna

The infrared sauna is a great way to relax and detoxify your body. However, knowing when to shower after an infrared sauna session is important. While everyone is different and has different preferences, there are a few general tips to remember when deciding when to shower after an infrared sauna session. So, let’s dive into this critical topic.

Before Showering

When showering after an infrared sauna, it is essential to take the time to cool off properly before showering. Your body’s natural response on exiting the sauna should be to slowly allow your body temperature to return to normal. You should allow this process for at least 15 minutes, although some people could need even longer. Additionally, the time it takes will depend on how hot you have set your infrared sauna.

During this cooling-off period, your body continues to experience benefits from the infrared heat, and taking a shower too soon can cancel out these effects. For those reasons, it’s best practice to:

  • Keep warm with additional or alternative clothing
  • Refrain from directly placing yourself in cold elements
  • Refrain from jumping into too cold of a shower immediately after exiting the sauna

After you have cooled off naturally, you can take a warm or cool shower as usual.

After Showering

When you are done with your infrared sauna session, you should shower afterward. The heat may have caused some sweating, which can also cause your body to become slightly dehydrated. Therefore, it’s important to rehydrate your body by drinking water after your session ends after showering, cleaning, and drying off any sweat residue from outside the sauna unit itself.

It is also important to note that even though you may feel relaxed after a session in an infrared sauna, the heat and sweat can leave you tired or lightheaded afterward. It is recommended that if this occurs, you should:

  • avoid straining yourself
  • resist any urge to drive or operate equipment that requires physical coordination.

Tips for Showering After Infrared Sauna

Showering after an infrared sauna session is essential for cleansing and eliminating toxins from your body. It’s also important to shower at the right time to maximize the benefits of the session. This article will discuss the best tips for showering after an infrared sauna session. We’ll detail when and how to shower to ensure you get the most out of your sessions.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water is essential before, during, and after your infrared sauna session. It is important to stay hydrated as you sweat out toxins in the heat of the sauna. It also helps aid in detoxification and reduce dehydration. Drinking 8 ounces of water before, during, and after being in the sauna will help replace lost electrolytes and rehydrate cells dehydrated by sweating. It is best to sip on water throughout your session, gradually increasing your hydration level as you increase your body temperature. In addition, drink filtered or reverse osmosis bottled water to ensure you drink clean water free from contaminants.

After showering following an infrared sauna session, it is also essential to replenish lost minerals with an electrolyte replacement drink such as Nuun Hydration Tablets, Pedialyte, or coconut water mixed with added minerals. They provide crucial electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, and phosphate that are depleted through sweating, which can help restore balance to your body after a sauna session while nourishing your cells to aid in tissue repair and recovery.

Additionally, having fresh fruits or vegetables high in electrolytes like cucumber slices, melon chunks, or strawberries can help replenish essential minerals and keep skin hydrated post-session!

Use Lukewarm Water

The most crucial tip when showering after an infrared sauna is to use lukewarm water. While cold showers can feel refreshing, they can also cause your body temperature to drop too quickly, which can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Lukewarm water will help your body cool down gently and won’t be as shocking as a cold shower. You should also limit your shower time – two to three minutes is usually enough.

Once you’ve finished showering, thoroughly dry off with a towel, as residual mineral deposits from sweat may collect on the skin if not washed away. Finally, moisturize with natural products containing no fragrances or chemicals – your skin will thank you!

Avoid Using Soap

When using the infrared sauna, avoiding soap on your skin is essential. It is because soaps often contain harsh chemicals and fragrances which can irritate the skin. Furthermore, soaps can strip away the natural oils on your skin, making it dry and uncomfortable. Therefore, we recommend rinsing off with water after using the infrared sauna and not using soap.

If you need a cleanser or body wash, opt for an all-natural option that doesn’t contain dyes or artificial fragrances. Furthermore, it would help if you considered exfoliating lightly once or twice a week to remove dead skin cells from your body — this action will help refresh your skin but should be avoided directly after using the infrared sauna.

Finally, remember always to moisturize after rinsing yourself off with water to lock in hydration and keep your skin soft and supple.

Potential Risks of Not Showering

It is highly recommended to shower after an infrared sauna session. Not showering can put your body at risk of harmful bacteria and viruses that can make your skin feel greasy and cause acne and other skin issues. Additionally, it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances if the body is not properly hydrated. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the potential risks of not showering after an infrared sauna:

  • It can put your body at risk of harmful bacteria and viruses.
  • It can make your skin feel greasy and cause acne and other skin issues.
  • It can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a significant risk of skipping your shower after an infrared sauna session. Due to the extreme temperatures, you can lose a lot of body fluids during sweat sessions. If you don’t rehydrate properly and take showers soon after your session, you are at risk of dehydration. It means that not only will you feel confused and dizzy, but you will also be more susceptible to infection, headaches, fatigue, and cramps.

If you are dehydrated, drinking ample amounts of water should help restore some balance in your body. Therefore, it is important to drink before, during, and after a sauna session and afterward throughout the rest of the day to rehydrate your body entirely. Additionally, showering with cold or lukewarm water can help reduce some of the dehydrating effects caused by excess sweating during sauna sessions.

Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is one of the potential risks of not showering after an infrared sauna session. It can be caused by dehydration, sweating too much, or simply being in a hot environment for an extended period. Heat exhaustion can cause a person to feel dizzy, confused, or lightheaded and may feel faint or weak.

To reduce the risk of heat exhaustion, it’s essential to:

  • Drink plenty of water during and after your sauna session to stay hydrated – especially if you’ve been sitting there longer than typical 30-minute sessions.
  • Shower immediately following your sauna session to reduce your risk of heat exhaustion significantly by allowing you to cool down quickly and eliminate all the sweat build-up on your skin that accelerates sweating and decreases your body temperature.

Skin Irritation

Skin irritation can occur when you fail to shower within a specific time frame after a session in an infrared sauna. In addition, skin irritation or uncomfortably may arise due to the heat, sweat, or even the type of material you may have been wearing in the sauna.

In addition to general skin discomforts, such as itching or rash, avoiding showering after an infrared sauna can lead to more severe problems. Bacterial infections may develop due to the sweat and oils accumulated on the skin over a more extended period that is not washed off after each session. If not removed quickly enough, bacteria and dirt from infrared sweating can cause infectious diseases, from folliculitis (hair follicle inflammation) to severe acne and other skin inflammation.

We generally recommend that individuals shower as soon as possible after each use. Washing immediately helps remove sweat, bacteria, and oils so your skin remains healthy and irritation-free! Taking showers immediately before or post using the sauna is especially important if you have experienced any form of open wounds while using an infrared sauna, as this could increase the risk of infection without proper hygiene management afterward.