The difference between infrared sauna and red light therapy

Infrared sauna and red light therapy are two different but complementary treatments.

The similarities is that they both use different concentrated wavelengths of light to stimulate cellular change and healing, without the harmful UVs. 

The difference between infrared sauna and red light therapy is that red light therapy is a light panel you expose your skin to and feels like the warmth of the sun and infrared sauna is a type of sauna that sit in and creates an intense sweat.

Red, near infrared and far infrared are all beneficial wavelengths of the sun, which is why they have positive benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing. Cells in our body respond to light via a photochemical response, just like plants do with photosynthesis. 

Note: there are some sauna's that are called 'full spectrum' saunas, however there are challenges with the effectiveness of combining all 3 wavelengths in a sauna space. This is because to get the benefits of red and near infrared light there is an optimum distance you need to be from the light source and an optimum intensity of light (irradiance) which is difficult to produce in an open sauna space. The best way to get the benefit of all 3 wavelengths is with a red light therapy panel and far infrared sauna.

Check out these discounts for purchasing infrared saunas and red light therapy panels.

Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas use far infrared (FIR) light wavelengths which penetrate your tissues, increasing your core temperature to create an intense sweat. This differs from traditional sauna, which uses heating systems that heat the air around you causing you to get hot and sweat. Traditional saunas requires a very high heat which is often humid and challenging to breathe in, however the mechanism of infrared sauna means the cabin temperature is lower and more comfortable but produces that same and often more effective results.

The light in the sauna is a chromotherapy light and you can choose between a range of colours.

It also means you can spend less time in the sauna to achieve the same or greater results than in a traditional sauna.

The elevation of core body temperature induced by sauna sessions introduces a beneficial stress on our bodies, prompting cellular adaptations that enhance our strength, health, and resilience. This sauna-induced effect mimics that of light exercise, creating positive changes on overall health and well-being.

Read more about the benefits, what you get in a sauna session at Inside Matters or book a sauna today.

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Red Light Therapy 

Often also called photobiomodulation or light therapy, red light therapy refers to light treatment applied to the whole or various parts of the body. It most often combines red (visible light from 620 to 660nm) and near infrared (NIR) light (810-850nm) from LEDs which produce these wavelengths at high intensity for therapeutic benefit.

It is a safe, painless, and natural treatment for a wide range of health concerns.

Red light wavelengths penetrate the skin and have the most impact on skin health. The energy produced by the red light is felt as warmth against the skin, like the sun, and helps remove toxins and dead skin cells, while stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. This helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and promotes cellular health and skin renewal, helping to heal skin conditions and reduce the signs of aging. 

Near infrared is not visible to the naked eye (but you can see it with night vision googles). It penetrates deeper into the tissues than red light, naturally stimulating the mitochondria in your cells to produce more energy as ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). ATP is required for all cellular energy in the body and most chronic illnesses have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.

When our cells are under stress, ATP does not function as well as it should, due to Nitric Oxide molecules binding to the ATP.  As light penetrates the cell’s mitochondria, the nitric oxide molecules detach from the ATP and bind to oxygen molecules, enabling the mitochondria and ATP to  working more effectively. This results in increased circulation with more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the tissues, enhanced healing and a decrease in inflammation and pain. 

Read more about the benefits of red light therapy.

The difference between red light therapy and infrared sauna is in the mechanism of how they use light, however combining red light therapy with an infrared sauna exposes your body to all 3 therapeutic wavelengths, creating a full spectrum experience and maximising the benefits to your health and wellbeing. 

You can book a combo session with Inside Matters for 10 minutes of red light therapy followed by a 30 minute sauna.

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My journey with Chronic illness

I started using infrared sauna and red light therapy to manage chronic pain and symptoms of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and ME/CFS. The red light therapy has been integral in helping reduce inflammation and pain and infrared sauna supports detoxification from food allergies and sensitivities, helps calm my nervous system and has gradually strengthened my resilience and ability to do more daily activities and incorporate some exercise into my life again.

It is important that sauna and RTL is used appropriately, and initially for someone with ME/CFS or Long COVID, this may not be the same for someone who doesn't have these illnesses. If you have ME/CFS or Long COVID, I recommend starting slowly, in line with your baseline functionality, and gradually increasing as tolerated.

For example, when I first started using an infrared sauna, I could only tolerate 5 minute sessions once a week and I didn't tolerate traditional sauna at all. I gradually built up the time and sessions, and now I comfortably do 20-30 minute infrared sauna sessions multiple times a week.

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