Going to Sauna : Does your hair like it ?

[StellaKatherine]

I myself from Finland. And i go 2 times a week to sauna and wash my hair there ( i wash my hair only at this sauna trips :D ). I always first water my hair all through and put all hair up in a bun before going to sauna ( no metal clips or plastic in my hair , just an elastic).

So i have this question, especially for Scandinavian girls and boys, and to everyone who goes to sauna. How bad or how good sauna is for your hair ? I sometimes put conditioner on my hair and put towel around my hair and go to sauna, and it does feel like my hair enjoying the warmth and conditioner at same time. But if i do not have a conditioner on i go in sauna with just a wet hair and no towel to protect my hair otherwise.

So i started to wonder if sauna is good or bad ?

I would really appreciate if you tell your experience !

[Unofficial_Rose]

I go to the sauna every week, but I always put conditioner on my hair and rewet it every 10 minutes or so to stop it baking.

I'm not sure it makes much difference either way, although in theory heat + wet hair + conditioner should be beneficial.

[MissManda]

I am yet to go to the sauna wih a conditioning treatment in my hair, but I'd really like to once I start going regularly. I agree that it is theoretically beneficial to hair.

I have noticed, though, that if I go to the sauna with my hair in a bun, my hair will have lots of volume and wave/curl when I take my hair down, even if I put it up dry. Makes me wonder if the heat sets waves/curls.

[StellaKatherine]

Unofficial_Rose , when you go to sauna with the conditioner , do you put a towel or anything around it ?

Yeah i rewet my hair around every 10 min as well, it isn't too enjoyable to seat in sauna for more than 10 min at a time, at least for me . I like my sauna hot , realy hot ( if sauna is only little warm i notice myself getting tired easely there).

[Kizuna]

I usually put a lot of conditioner in before going into the sauna and let it hang loose or twist it into a bun. I haven't thought a lot about it but since I spend more time relaxing in the sauna then I do waiting in the shower normally my hair always turn out smoother after the sauna treatment ^^

[Avital88]

I experienced that my hair got really dry when visiting the sauna once a week, its actually the reason why i stopped going :s

[StellaKatherine]

MissManda (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=24117) , I never thought about it before, but now that you said it. It is true after coming from sauna my hair is even when wet is right away in a big curls and it dryes that way, and if comb very carefully the curl does stay very nicelly. This is what makes me confused when wondering if my hair is curly by nature or not :) I should try to wash my hair next without sauna and see if i get any curls at all !

[luxepiggy]

I find the sauna very drying; I prefer to relax in the steam room or hot tub instead! http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/piggies/6heo157.gif

[hisprincess]

I also leave conditioner in my hair in there. I haven't noticed any real difference between conditioning in the sauna and regular conditioning, but it just seems like a good idea. I suspect that it would be better for my hair if I just used the steam room.

[CherrySilver]

I go into the sauna on a regular basis -- at least 3x/week. My hair is usually up, meaning it's still up either in a bun or crown braid (from my workout) so that my ends aren't exposed. Occasionally, I'll slather on some conditioner on the scalp and ends but not always. If you're worried about dryness put on a little oil or conditioner and/or put it up.

[GaJunebug]

Just wondering if adding coconut oil to your hair before entering the sauna would be a good thing- it seems like it would be.

[Euphoria.Dame]

It seems like a sauna visit would be the perfect time to use a leave-in conditioner, since heat helps the hair absorb it.

[StellaKatherine]

I actually heard that going to sauna with your hair dry and exposed ( no towel or anything else to protect it ) can damage your hair, so it must be wet throgh out and not only ends of the hair. I really don't know if this is true or not, but it does worry me a bit at least that much that i always wet it first very well, this is why i never yet tried go to sauna without washing off any hair mask i was having before hand it.

I haven't thought about using an oil before going to sauna eather, but i think i want to try it out. I love to use a hair mask of egg yolk, honey and olive oil about once in 2 weeks. I think if i dare i will next time go to sauna with all of that on my hair before washing off.. fingers crossed :)

[Naddy]

Terve! :) Funny, during my weekly sauna this Thursday, I was literally thinking of doing a search for 'sauna' here to see what other people do with their hair in saunas and possibly learn something new or get some ideas, haha.

In the two and a half years that I've lived in Finland, I've went into the sauna with completely dry hair, wet hair, conditioner-slathered hair and wet hair chock full of whatever oils I had at my disposal. The only thing I haven't done yet is go in with a towel or cap on. With the aforementioned ways of going into the sauna, it really hadn't changed for better or worse for the most part. However, for the past month or so, I've taken to going in with dry hair with a liberal amount of coconut oil on for a nice hot oil treatment (I especially love it if I'm able to leave it in during the day). At the moment, my hair hasn't been this soft, shiny or relaxed since I was a kid. I'm not even getting the usual winter static and dryness that I get during the dry winters here in Jkl! I think I'll try going in with my coconut-oiled hair wrapped in a towel next week.

Although I should add that I've also made a ton of other changes in my hair regimen outside of the sauna, so I'd imagine that the hot coconut oil treatments in the sauna might just be the icing on the cake that has resulted in my hair's improvement (w00t!).

[sumidha]

I don't go to the sauna too often, but I looooove it! And my hair does not seem to mind the heat or humidity. Of course it's always in a braid or a bun...

[StellaKatherine]

Hmmm i should realy try that coconut oil treatment, i've only used extra virgin olive oil so far and my hair loved it (especially my ends).

This is what i read on a finnish haircare website, sorry for bad english but i've tried to translate it: " Hair has hyaline named adipose material ( hope i write it right ). Anyway this material start to burn at 50 degrees C. And usually sauna is about 80 degrees C. It causes the hair's lethargy and dryness. For this reason, the hair should always be protected, either when going to sauna with a towel or a saunacap. Hair is best to keep dry when go to sauna. Hair irrigation open hair scales and when it's hot the hair structure can be easily damaged. However, if the hair has lacquer or other formulation products, hair should be washed prior before entering sauna. Protect your hair with the wet towel or a cap. If you use the conditioner on your hair while in sauna, make sure it is suitable for heating and that there are no silicone, which can burn hair stick. "

I am realy confused right now about this. As i've always heard before that hair should be always wet when going to sauna, that dry hair would be the worst thing ever. :confused:

[truepeacenik]

Where I go is a hot tub/sauna combo.
So leave ins are a bad idea because of the tub.
I do keep my hair wet from the shower, however.

After my shower there I leave a bit of conditioner on the ends and bun my hair for the trek home.

[SoulOfTheSea]

Wouldn't putting some kind of humectant in your hair when you go into the sauna be beneficial? Like some AVG or glycerin?