With all the new different types of therapies and treatments out in the world trying to help you improve your health and wellness, it’s quite normal to wonder which one is really going to be the best option for you. Two relatively new wellness techniques that have quickly risen in popularity and offer a host of benefits are infrared saunas and red light therapy. But which one will be best for you?
There are a few significant differences between red light therapy and infrared saunas, and they target different aspects of wellness and function quite differently. The beautiful thing about these two treatments is that you can actually use them together. In this article, we’ll take a look at how these two modern health and wellness techniques differ and how they can benefit you.
What is an Infrared Sauna?
An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that, instead of using steam, uses light to directly heat your body without heating the air around you in the suite. Infrared waves are emitted from carbon or ceramic panels. These waves penetrate your body tissues to increase your body’s thermal energy and cause you to start sweating. Infrared saunas will typically run at a lower temperature than your traditional steam sauna, and you can expect to experience temperatures between 49°C and 60°C.
What are the Benefits of an Infrared Sauna?
Recent studies have shown that infrared saunas have many benefits. Some of the best benefits of going for regular infrared sauna sessions could include:
- Improved cardiac health
- Optimised blood circulation
- Helping to reduce stress and increase relaxation
- Aiding with muscle recovery
- Aiding with pain relief and reducing inflammation
Anyone who wants to start benefiting from infrared sauna sessions can book private infrared suites at TH7. These suites allow you to experience utter relaxation in complete privacy.
What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy (RLT), also known as photobiomodulation, is a wellness treatment that uses low-level red light to penetrate the skin deeply without using heat. It’s noninvasive, nontoxic, and doesn’t use harmful UV rays—a few contributing factors to why it has probably become such a popular treatment.
What are the Benefits of Red Light Therapy?
RLT is a relatively new treatment and still requires a lot more research in order to prove the long-term benefits. However, with the studies that have been done on red light therapy, the results have been very promising and so far have shown to have a lot of benefits, which may include:
- Reducing the signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles and age spots
- Helping treat acne and acne scarring
- Helping with the treatment of skin conditions like eczema, rosacea and psoriasis
- Reducing sun damage to the skin
- Helping treat androgenic alopecia when paired with prescribed medication for hair growth
- Helping relieve chronic pain and inflammation for people with conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis
What are the Main Differences Between Infrared Saunas and Red Light Therapy?
While both red light therapy and infrared saunas sound similar and are used similarly for their treatment, that’s about as similar as they get. RLT and infrared therapy treatments differ in a few key ways:
- Red light therapy focuses on healing in specific areas and is, therefore, a targeted technique, whereas infrared saunas will heat the whole body
- Red light therapy focuses on the cellular generation, reducing inflammation and optimizing skin health, while infrared saunas aim to promote better circulation, detoxification, and muscle relaxation
- A significant difference between red light therapy devices and infrared saunas is the wattage draw, as infrared saunas will consume between 1750 and 3800 Watts depending on the size of the sauna you’re using, whereas red light devices typically only use approximately 116 to 350 Watts
- Both RLT and infrared saunas are easy to use. However, red light therapy utilises devices that can just be attached and switched on, so they are much easier to use
- Infrared saunas require a lot more space than compact, red light therapy devices
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, red light therapy and infrared saunas differ in various ways and target different areas of health and wellness. Remember that while both types of treatments show a lot of promise with the benefits they could potentially offer, there is still a lot more research that needs to be done to support this. It’s always advisable to speak to your doctor before attempting to use any new treatment to ensure that it is completely safe for you to use.
