Acne is one of the most common skin issues around the world. Plenty of skincare brands have even made product lines specifically dedicated to treating acne-prone skin. There are also tons of advice and treatments floating online on how to stop and prevent acne. One of the lesser-discussed solutions is the sauna. In this article, we’ll take a look at the infrared sauna skin benefits for acne.
What causes acne?
The four main causes of acne are bacteria, excess oil production, inflammation, or hair follicles clogged by oil or dead skin cells. For hormonal acne or adult acne, the main culprit is excess sebum in the oil glands. They can often be triggered or worsened by diet, hormonal changes, stress, and certain medications.
This condition affects people of all ages and while there are various treatments available for it, it can be persistent. The earlier treatment starts, the less it can lead to bigger problems like skin scarring.
How do infrared saunas help with acne?
Infrared saunas are one of the best ways to treat acne without the use of chemicals. It uses infrared lights to raise the body’s temperature and induce sweating, which unblocks or prevents the blockage of your sebaceous glands.
Your sebaceous glands sit below your skin’s surface and produce the skin’s natural oil, sebum. When these are blocked, they rise to become the mounds on your skin’s surface called acne.
The sweating induced by infrared saunas also helps reduce the build-up of dead skin cells. Additionally, given the way that infrared light reaches under the skin, infrared saunas also help with the encouragement of the creation of new and healthy skin cells.
Why infrared sauna is better than steam sauna for acne treatment
Traditional and steam saunas do produce the same sweating effect as infrared saunas – however, they don’t effectively target the main causes of acne. On the other hand, infrared saunas go deeper.
Their infrared light penetrates the skin and reaches tissues that are deeper in your body. This then stimulates adenosine triphosphate production (ATP) in your cells. This has many benefits for the skin and one of them is the reduction of acne lesions which helps prevent the spread of more acne and the healing of acne scars.
Additionally, studies have shown that infrared light therapy with the use of photodynamic therapy can reduce the size of the sebaceous glands and reduce sebum production. With this, infrared sauna treatments target not only the surface level of your acne but also the main root of the issue.
How long should you stay in the sauna for maximum infrared sauna skin benefits?
For maximum skin benefits including acne treatment, you should do a sauna at least twice a week for 15 minutes each. More frequent visits will provide better results. Also, remember that how often you use the sauna is more important than how long you spend time in it or how hot the temperature is. So consistency is key.
What to do after an infrared sauna for glowing skin?
When you step out of the infrared sauna, refresh yourself with warm towels. Then, as you wait for your body to cool down, rehydrate with plenty of water. Once you have rested an ample time and your body temperature has returned to normal, you can further refresh yourself with a warm shower. Follow this with a quick cool rinse to close up the pores. Also, remember to use only natural or chemical-free soaps and light lotions to avoid clogging up your pores again.
Treat acne with infrared saunas
Consistent visits to infrared saunas have many proven skin benefits including acne treatment without the use of harsh chemicals. However, the duration for how long before you see effects may vary. It’s also best to consult with your doctor first before undergoing your first infrared sauna session.
If you’re looking for a tried and tested infrared sauna to take home with you, try out one of our sauna models! For help picking out the right model or for questions about them, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’ll be happy to assist you in finding the right sauna model for your needs.