Far Infrared Saunas – Safe Exposure to Sunlight?
The
development of far infrared saunas,
which claim to use the power of infra red light to bring a multitude of health
benefits, seems counterintuitive. After all, we are these days more cautious
than ever about exposing our skin to sunlight, being careful to protect
ourselves with sun-lotions and clothing. As instances of skin cancer seem ever
on the increase, it has long been drummed into us that exposure
to sunlight should be avoided – so is the use of an
infrared sauna using far infrared heat
safe?
Sunlight is composed of a spectrum of different types of light, only some of
which are visible, whereas the infra red rays have a heating effect used to heat
saunas. UV rays are the type that burn our skin, and have been repeatedly linked
to the development of skin cancer, and while infrared and UV rays co-exist on
the same spectrum, infrared rays are not responsible for the discoloration of
our skin that we call burning or tanning. The sun lotions that we apply when
going outdoors protect our skin from UV rays, but not infra red light – this is
why these lotions do not prevent us from feeling the warmth of the sun. And it
is this heating effect – rather than the visible effects that the sun has upon
our skin – that is what makes the use of a far
infrared sauna heater so beneficial to our health.
Sunlight is essential to the continued survival of all living things, which is
why many people continue to claim that tanning is healthy. It is, in fact, other
types of light or heat, rather than UV rays that we need to survive. This
type of heat is not only used in saunas. The heating effect of far infra red
light is so healthful that it is used in hospitals to keep newborn babies warm.
This type of light penetrates our bodily tissues in a far less superficial way
than UV rays, reaching the level of our muscles and organs, where it is able to
do the good work that has made saunas using far infrared heaters so highly
recommended.
Many people use tanning equipment to gain that summer glow all year round. In
reality, this type of equipment causes only damage to the skin. If you want to
really recreate and intensify the healthful effects of sunlight, then choose a
far infrared heater for your sauna.
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