What happens when you sauna with blistering sunburn?

How infrared heat affects severe sunburn 

If you're like us, you enjoy a good sauna session from time to time - no matter the season. But what happens if you have a blistering sunburn? Can you still sauna safely? In this post, we'll take a look at what causes sunburn and what effect an infrared sauna has on sunburnt skin.

Hitting the sauna after too much sun exposure

Sunburns are no fun. The severe pain and skin irritation from a bad sunburn can make everyday activities unbearable. And while we all do our best to slip, slop, slap - let's face it - we usually end up with at least one sunburn every summer.

So when this day comes, should you continue with your infrared sauna routine? To answer this question, let's first look at what sunburn actually is.

What is the cause of sunburn?

Sunburns are a result of skin being exposed to the sun's ultraviolet light. This type of radiation from the sun can cause the skin cells to become damaged, resulting in pain, redness, and blistering.

What do UV rays do to our skin cells?

The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is divided into UVA, UVB, and UVC rays:

• UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis, the skin's second layer and can cause premature aging. This type of radiation also contributes to your risk of skin cancer.
• UVB rays are shorter than UVA rays and cause sunburns. They damage the DNA in skin cells and also play a role in skin cancer formation.
• UVC rays are the shortest type of ultraviolet radiation and are mostly filtered by the ozone layer; however, some UVC rays can penetrate through the atmosphere during a solar eclipse or when using tanning beds.

Exposure to UV rays is the main cause of all types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, and all types of UV radiation damage your skin cells.

Why do UV rays cause sunburnt skin?

The top layer of the skin consists of cells that are sensitive to DNA damage from UV. These cells produce molecules that attract immune cells when they identify DNA damage.

The immune cells cause the blood vessels in the skin to release fluid into spaces between other structures in the skin. This extra fluid and swelling make your skin appear red and hot, and that is why it hurts when you touch sunburned skin.

What happens to sun-damaged cells?

Sunburn cells are cells that are killed when you get sunburn. Scientists have identified these cells as keratinocytes (a type of cell that makes up 90% of the outer layer of skin) that are dying through a process called apoptosis.

Apoptosis is the body's way of discarding an abnormal cell before it causes more harm than good. In the instance of sunburn cells, apoptosis is the defence from sunburn cells turning into skin cancers.

So you've just spent a day in direct sunlight at the beach and you didn't use as much sun protection as you should of. You develop symptoms of mild sunburn and realise that you're booked in for an infrared sauna session at your local venue. What do you do?

Do infrared saunas help with sunburn?

As we've explained, sunburn is a process in which the cells of the skin underneath the top layer are dying off to prevent cancerous formations. The symptoms come as an inflammatory response to provide immune cells to heal the damaged cells.

As a by-product of this, the skin damage is felt as heat. Stepping into an environment that increases the temperature of your skin, even more, will result in worse symptoms.

The short answer - infrared saunas will not soothe sunburn, if anything they will make the symptoms worse. However, infrared radiation was used in an animal study that concluded that pre-exposure to infrared radiation reduces sunburn cell formation. Let's take a closer look at what this study found.

Can infrared saunas prevent sunburn?

There is no doubt that the best way to prevent sunburn is through sun protection measures, be it sun-protective clothing, or ensuring you wear sunscreen. We can all agree that the risk of skin cancer is too high to not follow sun safety rules. Outside of this fact, this animal study has interesting results.

An animal study on infrared radiation and ultraviolet radiation

The study found that sunburn cells (a measure of skin cell injury caused by ultraviolet radiation) in mice, were significantly decreased by pre-exposure to infrared radiation.

Mice were subject to infrared in an area that raised the surface temperature to 37-42 degrees. That same area was then targeted with UVB exposure.

The study showed that the number of basal cells was significantly reduced in a surface temperature-dependent manner by pre-exposure to infrared radiation.

These findings suggest that infrared slows down cell growth and, as a result, decreases sunburn cell formation. It would seem - in mice at least - that the infrared radiation affects cells in a way that combats some of the damage ultraviolet radiation does.

While this science is miles away from discovering if infrared saunas can support sunburn prevention or not, this research shows interesting developments in this space.

Can you sweat out sunburn?

Of course, sunburn heals on its own. As explained, it is a cellular reaction - however, symptoms of sunburn can be managed using a cool treatment - not a sauna. You cannot sweat out a sunburn, in fact, sweat may irritate the skin even more.

Treating sunburn 101

Cool compresses like using a damp towel, or cool water like having a cool shower, can have a positive impact on your pain management. Sometimes antibiotic ointment, medicated cream and aloe gel can further help soothe and alleviate symptoms, while applying cold compresses will provide the most relief.

If you've got severe blistering from too much exposure, medical attention may be needed and you should visit your doctor immediately to avoid infection and skin cancer risk.

Can you get sunburn from a sauna?

Direct sun exposure contains a broad spectrum of radiation - both UV and IR. Luckily, only UV radiation has been shown to cause irreparable damage such as developing melanoma. An infrared sauna has zero UV levels and does not produce any ultraviolet radiation. It is impossible for an infrared sauna to cause sunburn.

Sun protection for your skin

Most people are familiar with the sun protection factor, or SPF, of sunscreens. But what exactly is SPF, and how does it work? The sun protection factor is a measure of a sunscreen's ability to block ultraviolet.

A sunscreen with a higher SPF will provide better protection from UV than a sunscreen with a lower SPF. However, it's important to remember that no sunscreen can provide complete protection from the sun.

Taking note of UV from the sun

The amount of UV radiation that reaches the earth's surface depends on a number of factors, including the time of day, the time of year, and the location. The UV index is a measure of the amount of UV radiation that is present in a particular location. The index is based on a scale from 1 to 11. UV levels of 1 are the lowest and 11 are the highest.

A UV index of 1 means that there is very little UV radiation present and no risk to human health. A UV index of 11 means that there is a high level of UV radiation present and a risk to human health. When the UV index is high, it is important to cover as much skin as possible when going outside.

Saunas are for relaxation, not for treating injuries—especially sunburns. In fact, going into a sauna with a sunburn can actually make your condition worse. That’s because the main cause of sunburn is ultraviolet radiation, and infrared radiation found in saunas will only aggravate the skin damage caused by UV rays.

If you want to use a sauna safely after spending time in the sun, be sure to protect your skin from further exposure by covering up any areas that might still be vulnerable to burning. And as always, be sure to drink plenty of water to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. Want to learn more about how infrared radiation affects your skin? Check out our blog post on the subject.