It’s no secret that infrared saunas can help you achieve a slew of health benefits. From better heart health, improved fatigue recovery, to detoxing and cleansing – but how about hair?
In this article, we’ll take a stab at the possible effects of a home infrared sauna when it comes to hair growth.
What Causes Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a natural occurrence, and according to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s normal to lose about 50-100 hair strands a day.
However, excessive hair shedding, or alopecia, can be problematic as it can alter one’s sense of self confidence, feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, and even social withdrawal in more severe circumstances.
This may happen due to genetics, hormonal imbalance, aging, medical conditions, medications, nutritional deficiencies, and even stress.
How Can Infrared Saunas Possibly Help?
Although infrared saunas have no direct effect on hair, they can possibly influence the factors that actively promote better hair growth. To be more specific, infrared saunas can encourage two factors:
- Promote blood circulation in the scalp – Since infrared saunas cause your blood vessels to vasodilate – widen or ‘dilate’ – to cool yourself down, the theory here is that better blood flow helps essential nutrients and oxygen travel faster to various parts of the body, including the scalp.
This is entirely possible if you experience hair loss due to decreased blood flow, which can stem from androgenetic alopecia (AGA).
- Reduce Stress – It has been proven that stressful events such as illness, financial setbacks, or significant emotional distress can cause excessive hair shedding (telogen effluvium).
Thankfully, infrared saunas can help reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels and inducing endorphins— the body’s feel-good hormone– instead. Additionally, infrared saunas help reduce muscle tension putting the body in a deep state of relaxation.
Can Infrared Saunas Damage Your Hair?
No, while extreme temperatures can damage sensitive hair, the temperature at which it begins to get damaged starts at 190°. This is above the 65°C maximum temperature output of our infrared saunas.
According to various online sources, the most damage infrared saunas could bring is drying out your scalp, but studies have yet to support this claim and experience may vary from person to person. One workaround to this is by wearing a damp towel to mitigate any damage.
Better Health At Home With Sun Stream Saunas
While infrared saunas may indirectly promote hair growth, more studies are needed to see if they can reliably help you retain your beautiful locks of hair.
It’s best to pair a home infrared sauna with several lifestyle changes that could help prevent hair loss – getting enough sleep and sticking to a proper diet is the perfect combination to support your sessions.
Outside of hair benefits, infrared saunas are still a safer, better, and more comfortable alternative for heat-sensitive people who want to reap the advantages of a wet sauna without facing its intense temperatures.
If you want to learn more about how infrared heat can help you achieve other benefits, you can always reach out to us for expert advice at 1800 316 962, or take a look at our other resources.