What is Infrared Therapy?

Infrared radiation has been used for centuries to treat a variety of health conditions and more recently has become popular as a way to improve overall health. Don't let the term radiation fool you, infrared is non-ionising, meaning that it is not harmful.

There are many health benefits to using infrared therapy, including improved circulation, reduced inflammation, lower blood pressure, wound healing, increased metabolism, weight loss, and improved detoxification.

Infrared therapy can also help to relieve pain, improve sleep, and reduce stress levels.Infrared therapy is often used in conjunction with other forms of treatment and technologies, such as massage or acupuncture, halotherapy, and even other infrared light modalities such as red light therapy, to maximise its effectiveness.

What does infrared light look like?

How does infrared light work?

Infrared therapy works from infrared waves that have emitted infrared radiation, called infrared light, being absorbed by the body and converted to thermal energy. Infrared light passes through your skin and into fat cells, breaking down the triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. This process is called lipolysis, and it allows your body to rid itself of toxins stored in fat cells.

As well as the above health benefits of infrared wavelengths, infrared therapy also works by raising your core temperature. This rise in core temperature in turn causes your heart rate to increase and your blood vessels to dilate. This increase in blood flow and improved circulation allows for greater oxygen and nutrient delivery, improved blood pressure, and stimulates the body's natural defences for even more health benefits.

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A two-phase study found that people who used the Clearlight Infrared Sauna three times a week for 30 minutes each session lost 4% body fat over four months.

— Weight Loss Study, Birmingham University, 2019

READ FULL STUDY

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Is infrared radiation safe?

Infrared therapy is safe. It is a non-invasive way to promote many health benefits and has been used for centuries. Don't let the term infrared radiation scare you, it is simply one term to explain the infrared wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye, hence the name infrared light.

There are many objects that generate infrared radiation, including the sun, fire, and even the human body. The human body emits infrared heat as a normal part of its metabolism, while the infrared light from the sun is responsible for the warming of the Earth's surface.

Because infrared radiation or infrared light is not visible light, it can only be seen with thermal imaging such as infrared cameras and night vision goggles. This thermal imaging is used to detect objects and is even used for infrared astronomy.

Other infrared sources include heat lamps, infrared lamps, infrared lasers, and of course infrared saunas.

Infrared therapy can be used by people of all ages and is a great way to promote overall health and well-being. The thermal energy produced by our infrared waves, generated by our Clearlight Saunas, is completely safe since there are no harmful wavelengths of sunlight produced by our infrared technology, just natural therapeutic warmth. In fact, this infrared radiation is so safe that it's used in hospitals to keep newborns warm.

Infrared therapy is safe for most people to use, though there are a few conditions that it should not be used for, such as pregnant women, those with heart conditions, or those with metal implants. If you have any concerns about whether infrared radiation is right for you, be sure to speak to your doctor before beginning treatment.

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Which is better infrared or traditional sauna?

Infrared saunas are different to traditional saunas in that they raise the body temperature directly, rather than heating the air. Therefore while a traditional sauna may have a warmer temperature measurement, they do not provide as many health benefits.

Traditional saunas can be uncomfortable and difficult to breathe in due to temperatures reaching upwards of 80°C-105°C, while infrared sauna cabins have lower temperatures and are a more comfortable alternative, directly heating the body's deeper tissue.

Some added health benefits of infrared waves are that it targets the release of toxins in fat cells and has been shown to increase metabolism over regular use.

In an infrared sauna, you receive all of the health benefits of high temperatures without exposing yourself to the damaging, extremely hot air of a steam sauna. Infrared therapy is a better choice for those who are looking to improve their overall health and well-being.

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Does Heater Placement matter?

Clearlight saunas use strategically placed infrared heaters to help detox and heat your body's core directly with infrared waves. The back wall heaters run the full length of your back and are 15cm wide. The front heaters are placed such that they direct the heat to your front core. Clearlight saunas use a unique combination of ceramic and carbon heaters that provide superior infrared technology. Clearlight saunas also have an exclusive advanced far-infrared heating system that provides excellent skin penetration and an intense, but comfortable, sweat.  All of these factors come together to create a sauna experience that is unrivalled in terms of detoxification, relaxation, and health benefits.

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How can you see infrared light?

Visible light is a type of electromagnetic radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum. While there are many different forms of visible light, infrared light, is not seen by the human eye. While infrared light is not a part of the visible spectrum, you can still see it using different sensing technology.

The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. It ranges from low-frequency radio waves to high-frequency gamma rays, including visible light and non-visible light.

Most infrared cameras work by detecting infrared radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum. An infrared image can be shown if an object produces thermal infrared energy. This infrared radiation is emitted by many objects, including the sun and even our skin, and an infrared camera captures this thermal infrared radiation, or heat, to create an infrared image. The hotter the temperature, the more heat, energy and infrared radiation it will emit.

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Why choose infrared technology?

The effectiveness of infrared radiation is quite extensive and has been investigated through NASA science for some time. These waves have the potential to heat past the skin at about 1.5 to 2 inches or more deep into the body. This therapeutic heat raises your core body temperature from the inside. Traditional saunas, on the other hand, must rely only on indirect heat sources: first, convection (air currents) and then conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to create its heat.

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