Is Sauna Good or Bad For Your Hair?

Hair health is an important aspect of human beauty and many people invest their hard-earned money in products to promote healthier hair. Unfortunately, as you age your hair quality tends to go downhill and your hair follicles don't function as well as they once did.

Thankfully, there are both surgical and nonsurgical methods of reverting this process, and in today's blog, we will look at how infrared therapy can support healthier hair and an even more exciting technology you can use at home for hair growth.

Protect Your Hair With Infrared Light

Whether you're a professional hairdresser or just someone who likes to take care of their own locks, it's important not only to know how but also when and where the best times are for protecting them from damage.

Hair can be vulnerable in many ways; thusly taking steps towards safeguarding its health serves as an essential duty! Let's talk about securing your mane while also highlighting what may cause alopecia - otherwise described by medical professionals as "hair loss."

While infrared saunas are the most gentle to your hair among all saunas, they can improve your hair health massively with a few basic principles. Another home treatment that has been proven to stimulate hair growth is red light therapy. Red light therapy is a form of infrared wavelength that can be used in conjunction with your sauna for luscious locks. More on this later, but first, let's look at what promotes hair growth when using infrared saunas.

How Blood Flow Can Promote Faster Hair Growth

Even though scientists do not fully understand hair growth or loss, there are some indications that reduced blood flow may contribute to some types of hair loss.

Male hair loss is characterised by reduced blood flow and is often better understood from a scientific perspective than the female variant, female pattern hair loss.

Although blood flow is necessary for hair growth, it's not the be-all and end-all. Hormonal changes, genes, inflammation, and aging - are all vital factors in hair health.

We don't know for certain if increased blood flow from saunas helps with hair loss or regrowth, but there is a connection between the two. In fact, multiple studies have shown this link.

Increase Blood Flow To The Scalp With Infrared Sauna

With sauna use, blood flow increases greatly to the skin, as your body attempts to cool itself down. This happens as blood pressure decreases simultaneously with an increase in heart rate. Blood flowing away from your organs heads towards the skin as blood vessels dilate.

The hair on your head is located beneath several layers of skin, so it stands to reason - if increased blood flow can combat hair loss when decreased blood flow is the cause - then infrared saunas boost in blood flow can support the root cause.

Another impact on hair health is both hair and scalp moisture. Hair moisture plays an important role in hair cells and hair protection. If you keep the scalp hydrated, the follicles can function properly to support strong, healthy hair growth. However, when the hair and scalp become dry, it can damage the follicles and stunt growth, leading to weaker and thinner hair. One study found that 2 sauna sessions for 15 minutes each at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius promote hydration in the skin, in this instance to the forehead.

While the data shows that infrared saunas increase blood flow and hydration to the surface areas of the skin - including the scalp - it is speculative to associate that these benefits will combat the causality for hair loss and subsequently promote hair growth.

Is infrared Sauna Bad For Hair?

While blood flow and skin hydration have been shown to promote healthy hair, and an infrared sauna can do that, extremely hot environments and heat exposure can actually damage sensitive hair.

Dry heat and moist heat both damage hair cells

When hair and skin cells lose moisture from heat, the evaporation of the hair's moisture causes damage. This changes the hair's protein structure and, as a result, can crack the hair cuticles. This makes hair more vulnerable to further damage.

Unfortunately, once your hair's structure is changed by heat damage, the change is permanent. However, there are a few options for managing the situation:

1. Cut it and grow it back
2. Use of a hair serum moisturizers or a deep-conditioning hair treatment
3. Revive dead follicles with blood circulation to provide dry scalp relief
4. Protect it from drying out after a shower with a shower cap

Can infrared sauna damage hair?

So does infrared sauna damage hair? Well, even though infrared saunas generate dry heat using infrared light, the temperature of the cabin remains low when compared to steam rooms and traditional sauna therapy.

Unlike a steam treatment from a steam room, wet sauna of Finnish sauna, infrared heat targets the body directly, heating you from the inside out. As mentioned earlier, an infrared dry sauna provokes moisture to protect your hair. However, if you are concerned about heat damage, you can wear a damp towel submerged in cold water to protect your hair from infrared therapy.

Another FAQ about saunas we get asked a lot about the marks on your legs after a sauna session, which are evidence of the invigorating warmth of infrared saunas. They indicate improved blood circulation and vessel dilation, showcasing the positive impact on your well-being. Want to know more about these sauna marks? Check out our detailed blog post.

Fix Sustained Hair Loss With Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy uses certain frequencies of red and infrared light to promote healing by stimulating your body at the cellular level. Red light, which is visible to the naked eye, is helpful in helping regrow hair.

Several studies have shown that red light therapy can help new hair quality and potentially even reverse hair loss. For example, in one study lasting 16 weeks, the number of hairs increased by almost 40%! And it gets better—this treatment is effective for both men and women.

In addition, hair patterns have been shown to fully restore after extended treatment periods in numerous cases of hair loss. There is also an observed improvement in both hair thickness and density, making red light therapy an ideal solution for hair restoration.

These very promising results can be explained by increases in metabolism due to red light therapy, as blood effectively carries nutrients and promotes "fibroblasts", which improve collagen production in your body.

So if you're looking for that overall great hair feeling, or, simply want a manageable hair loss treatment, infrared therapy (both infrared sauna and red light therapy) is the safest, non-invasive and most effective option out there. Plus with both, you'll be open to multiple other possible health benefits.

What Promotes Hair Growth?

There are a variety of surgical and nonsurgical options available if you are experiencing hair loss. Some people may opt for medical treatment, while others may try natural remedies. There are also a number of over-the-counter products that claim to help with hair growth.

Advanced Hair Restoration techniques

Medical treatments for hair loss typically involve taking medication or undergoing surgery. Medications that are used to treat hair loss include minoxidil ( Rogaine) and finasteride ( Propecia). Surgery options include hair transplants and scalp reduction.

Protect your hair naturally

Natural remedies for hair loss include using essential oils and improving scalp circulation. Essential oils that are thought to promote hair growth include:

• Lavender oil
• Rosemary oil
• And cedarwood oil.
  

The most effective way to improve scalp circulation is with an infrared sauna. An infrared sauna is associated with relaxation and for good reason. Spending time in an infrared sauna can help to improve circulation, and the appearance of the skin surface, and support the immune system. All important factors for a good set of hair.

Lifestyle options to promote healthier hair

In addition to medical treatments, there are also a number of lifestyle changes that can help to prevent hair loss. Getting adequate sleep, managing stress levels, and eating a healthy diet are all important factors in maintaining healthy hair growth.

Diet changes that may help with hair growth include eating more protein and increasing your intake of biotin, zinc, and iron. By taking action early and being proactive about treatment, it is possible to prevent hair loss and keep your head full of healthy, strong hair.

How Your Next Sauna Session Could Enhance The Health Of Your Hair

Infrared saunas are a great one-stop-shop for everything health and wellness, and maintaining a good set of hair is no exception. By promoting blood circulation and moisture to the skin surface, an infrared sauna session does wonders to highlight those beautiful locks.

And now that you know the little secret of red light therapy further enhancing collagen production and hair regrowth, there should be nothing stopping you from utilising both of these relaxing and enjoyable treatments to get the hair you've always desired.

You can learn more about how infrared light contributes to a healthier, younger-looking complexion by visiting our blog on infrared sauna benefits for the skin.