SAUNA and hair treatment thread :D

[StellaKatherine]

I am sorry if there is allready discussion going on this matter! I am not good in using searching tools ;)

At summer time I am not big fan of going to sauna, but since it getting cold I started going again! Actually we went to sauna today and I tried out going to sauna with conditioner in my hair. Now my hair is drying and I'll see how my hair will look, but at least it felt very smooth when I was washing conditioner off my hair.

But I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with hair treatments and sauna ?
I didn't wear towel over my hair when I had conditioner on and wondering if I should have...

[FrozenBritannia]

I had a sauna today too! Today I did the same as you, just put conditioner in and didn't wrap it, but in the past I have done a heavy oiling or conditioning and wrapped it in a towel. I didn't notice much difference, my hair is soft after either way. I have been thinking about trying a SMT and having my hair in a shower cap, the sauna is much nicer than standing with a blowdryer on warm, right?

[StellaKatherine]

What I do know is that when going to sauna hair must always be wet unless it is in the towel... But have no idea if sauna might damage hair if it still wet and conditioned and no towel wrapped around it...

I am touching my hair now and it feels super soft and almost silky...

[velorutionista]

I love doing deep treatments in the sauna--SMT works very well for me that way (I don't cover my hair while in the sauna wit a SMT, and haven't had any problems...I do pile all my hair up in a bun on top of my head once the goop is worked through, though). If I don't have a SMT mixed up, just even regular conditioner is quite nice.

The only time I had any problems was when I tried using an egg yolk treatment--it was very hard to wash out (I suspect maybe it cooked a bit in the heat?)

[StellaKatherine]

yess, you shouldn't wash egg off your hair with hot water eather as even that will make it cook :D

[FrozenBritannia]

I will remember to avoid egg while in the sauna

[sumidha]

Oh jeez I am so jealous of you guys and your sauna-ing! I'm pregnant and can't sauna and I swear as soon as I give birth I'm gonna be in that thing 24/7, my husband can sit outside with the baby and I'll leave to nurse but that's it!

Ahem.

I always slather my hair in coconut oil before getting it wet and going in, and my hair is always really nice afterwards. I've never tried using conditioner because I don't have a private sauna, and I wouldn't want to drip conditioner onto benches or walls that other people will be using. Plus, it's not explicitly stated, but to me the sauna seems like the kind of place that should be a scent free environment. :)

[Majorane]

I don't have anything to add except that now I want a LHC sauna meet. We'll all do SMT's and plop in the snow to eat cheese in between the hot baths. *ends offtopic, but I reallyreally want to go saunaing now*

[StellaKatherine]

sumidha, I LOVE smell of beer on the hot sauna stones!!!!! :D I think some scents are perfect for sauna and can be very relaxing ;) When are you due to have a baby in your arms ? :D

[StellaKatherine]

I don't have anything to add except that now I want a LHC sauna meet. We'll all do SMT's and plop in the snow to eat cheese in between the hot baths. *ends offtopic, but I reallyreally want to go saunaing now*

Yeah, and cold drinks with ice :D Majorane - I have a feeling it wouldn't be boring ;)

Btw, I tried sauna with both my body and my hair in honey - that is some amazing results as well, but very hard to keep from making everything sticky so I always have an extra towel to seat on :)

[Majorane]

Wait, what- you mean beer from a beer treatment in your hair, or do you drink beer in the sauna?! Doesn't that give for incredibly drunk and wobbly legged red sauna-goers? Is that the custom in Scandinavia, to booze in the sauna?! It sounds like a marvellous idea! I need to try this. And truly I am sorry for the offtopic again, but sauna! Important subject.

[StellaKatherine]

Majorane, well especially men like to have ice cold beer bottle with them in sauna :D And they usually put some beer (not much) right on the sauna stones, it gives nice smell to steam :) And that is indeed an important subject!!!! ;)

[velorutionista]

Beer in the sauna is definitely a thing in my hubby's family (I married into a bunch of Finns living in Minnesota)--I always have to remember to hold the top of the bottle in my hand so I don't burn my lips! They splash beer on the rocks, too (I thought they were just weird, now I'll have to tell hubby I was wrong!)

And for the record, an LHC sauna meet would be awesome, I'm sure.

*adds beer to list of things to try in hair in sauna*

[sumidha]

Huh, I've never heard of beer in the sauna; on the rocks or in my belly. The conventional wisdom were I live (west coast of the US) is not to sauna or hot tub while drinking because the heat + alcohol can make you all wobbly (of course tons of people hot tub while drinking anyways). Usually here people put eucalyptus oil in water and splash that on the rocks once in a while to make things steamy... I'm sure I'm being overly cautious with the scents thing, but there's also lots of very health conscious natural types who use the sauna around here, and I'd feel bad bugging someone's scent allergies while they're trying to have a relaxing healing time in the sauna... And leaving oily conditioner stains on the nice cedar benches! :D

I'm due January 31st... It'll be cold and snowy here by then, and I swear a sauna is going to be literally the first thing I do after I'm up and about after the birth! It's hands down the thing I've missed most during pregnancy. It's gonna be sauna, all the soft cheeses, sushi and then a mimosa. *schemes*

[FrozenBritannia]

I have my own sauna so I'm not worried about smells, (although I don't think I'll be trying the beer one anytime soon, I don't like the smell of beer!) I like the eucalyptus oil idea though :hmm:
I'd go to a sauna meet, if I wasn't so darn far away from everyone!

[inanna]

Ha, try telling Finns not to drink beer somewhere and they'd just double the dose! ;) The beer thrown on the stones doesn't really smell that much like beer, I think it smells more like bread really. Scented oils are nice if you have your own sauna and don't have to worry about the next sauna-goer getting an asthma attack.

We usually enjoy our beer outside the sauna in between sessions of löyly though, to prevent the beer from getting too warm and yucky. Ideally it'd be while going outside and/or after a dip in the lake, but our sauna is in the basement of our apartment building, so no luck there.

I just went to the sauna today too, as you do on Saturdays! I clarified my hair and did a deep treatment, no towels here either. I'm pretty sure that as long as your hair doesn't dry out in the sauna, you're pretty safe even without a towel. The heat of the sauna is pretty much the only way I can get stuff to penetrate my low-porosity hair.

[FrozenBritannia]

How often do you all sauna? (Is there ever too much?)

[StellaKatherine]

we go to sauna twise a week at winter :) I have no idea what I will do with sauna this winter as I was my hair ever 7-10 days now... Hmm we will see :)

[Siiri]

I do most of my deep treatments in sauna, just because it's nicer to sit somewhere warm while waiting. I used to always wear a shower cap and towel on top but lately I've been going in with just wet conditioned hair. The expection is coconut oil treatment which I apply on dry hair. I feel like dry hair gets too hot in the sauna, so I protect my oiled hair with a shower cap and towel. In public saunas I just wet my hair.

I like to use a essential oils in the water but I've never used beer. Obviously I wouldn't use them in a public sauna though. I don't take drinks or food in the sauna but prefer to have them afterwards. Sauna and alcohol are quite usual combination here, because they both are seen as ways of relaxing.

[Symbiotek]

As nights are getting colder and longer, I too find myself going in the sauna a lot more often. I usually put conditioner in my hair and wrap it in a damp t-shirt, and even pour a little water over it every now and then while in the sauna. Sauna nights are probably the only time when I bother to actually do a proper deep conditioning.

As for the scent, there's nothing better than pine tar. I simply adore the smell and taste of it. Put a little tar scented oil in the sauna water, and I'll be there all night :D

[inanna]

We go once a week, mostly because we don't have a sauna of our own and "our shift" in the communal sauna is on Saturdays. Sometimes we have friends over, and I'm usually too shy to do any weird hair experiments when that happens. The husband might be used to me slathering my hair with various concoctions by now, but our friends aren't. :)

[FrozenBritannia]

We go once a week, mostly because we don't have a sauna of our own and "our shift" in the communal sauna is on Saturdays. Sometimes we have friends over, and I'm usually too shy to do any weird hair experiments when that happens. The husband might be used to me slathering my hair with various concoctions by now, but our friends aren't. :)

Yes, that might be awkward, lol. You could offer to share so they could have soft hair too? :lol:

[Olavi]

I'm planning to go to our sauna next time when I'm going to my family's holiday house. We have BIG sauna there, warmed with wood (the very best kind, I hate going saunas heated with electricity). I have never really done any treatments in sauna (my mom once put some sauna honey on my skin when I was little and too tense about coming Christmas eve next day), but I have been thinking I might do something with honey and oil when I go next time. I don't use conditioner anymore, so I most likely wont do SMT, just stick with the kitchen stuff :D

[Iku-Turso]

I go to sauna 2-3 times a week. We now have our own sauna in our apartment, which makes my life a little bit easier than before.

I always put conditioner to sauna. I might do a deep treatment before sauna, then go to shower and wash my scalp with diluted shampoo. After that i put the second conditioner in my hair, and go to sauna. I just wrap the hair on bun on top of my head, and smoot the extra conditioner leftover on my hands to my hairlines. The bun doesn't need any pins or clips, because of the conditioner working as a styling cream :). With the top bun my scalp doesn't get too much conditioner on it, but the hairs in the hairline (that are most damaged) still get some conditioning. I just leave my hair on the bun, pop in and out of sauna, wash, shave my legs etc. and rinse my hair and scalp with cold water as the last thing. If i CO, then I just wet my hair, put the conditioner on my scalp and to all of my hair, make the top bun, go to sauna etc., and then rinse the conditioner off before leaving.

I don't use towels to cover my hair, but I try not to lean on the sauna's walls or drip on the benches, because it is me who has to wash the sauna. I have really beginned to appreciate the detachable sauna benches that are easy to rinse clean in the shower... :D

I used to live in a apartment without sauna for 8 years, and had to go to a shared sauna. The only difficulty I had was that I was forced to carry all my hair stuff down the stairs and accross the yard to get to the shared sauna in the basement of one the buildings. And if it was winter and I had some deep conditioning going on with my hair, I had to cover it with a t-shirt or my hair woolly hat to prevent my hair from freezing. And of course with wet hair afterwards I had the same "problem" when coming home from the sauna, wet hair just seemes to freeze in seconds!
On Wednesdays nights we had ladies in the other sauna, and the other sauna was reserved for gents. I loved it! It was wonderful to chat with neighbours, and sauna and relax with other women. If for some reason I wasn't able to come to sauna, the other girls would often cry something like "Oh Iku-Turso, we missed your hair talk!", because they were used to me doing some crazy hair treatments and talking about hair. Sometimes the other women wanted to try my hair treatments, for example if I had some extra conditioner left they put it to their ends/lengths to see if it had some positive effect. We also had our own "sauna hour "on Fridays with my husband, but I try to keep my hair talk in minimum with him.

[StellaKatherine]

I use Ead acrylic sticks to keep my hair up when conditioned. I don't know if it is because of my hair becoming more heavy or because of conditioner making my hair more slippery, but nawadays my hair just doesn't stay up without sticks.

Iku-Turso, I am so jealous! We need to go through the yard to go to sauna like you needed before. So yeah, winter time is a nightmare to go with the wet hair. Hopefully in a year or two we will have our very own sauna in the appartment!

Olavi, Yeah the wood sauna is the best ! The warmth is so much different than from an electric sauna!

[inanna]

Yes, that might be awkward, lol. You could offer to share so they could have soft hair too? :lol:

I offered them some honey in the sauna once. Never again! :lol:

I agree that nothing beats a sauna that's been heated with wood. The steam just feels softer, and the woodsmoke smells so nice. :crush:

[Rosetta]

Wait, what- you mean beer from a beer treatment in your hair, or do you drink beer in the sauna?! Doesn't that give for incredibly drunk and wobbly legged red sauna-goers? Is that the custom in Scandinavia, to booze in the sauna?!
It truly is, though I avoid it, for the exact reasons you mentioned ;) (I far prefer a cold drink after sauna, though I don't go that often.)


Oh jeez I am so jealous of you guys and your sauna-ing! I'm pregnant and can't sauna
It's always so intriguing how pregnancy advice (and other advice as well) varies from country to country, as here there's no prohibition to go to sauna when pregnant. (In previous centuries most babies here were actually born in a sauna, but that's another matter ;)) But I do know from living in the UK that there they have the same advice as you do.

[FrozenBritannia]

Honey in the sauna? As a skin treatment you mean?

I bought a special mop for my sauna, so I can clean the walls and ceiling too. The benches are hard to move, but there is a drain so I just scrub and rinse them really well, and we sit on towels. :) Ours is electric, but most here are, with the rocks on top? With the wood fireplaces my house always smells like burning wood at this time of year anyways, haha.

I am going to use my acrylic stick next time, my hair also does not stick in a bun without help, it kept falling down last night.

[Ocelan]

Here's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=115549) a sauna thread from a year ago if you want to have a looksie. :)

I sadly have moved to an appartment that doesn't have a sauna now, which has made my CO a lot trickier (it doesn't wash my hair as well as when I do it in the sauna), but I still go to sauna when I have the chance and it's awesome.

[StellaKatherine]

FrozenBrittania, yes honey + sauna = amazing for skin!

[FrozenBritannia]

Do you have to mix it with anything? Just pour it on?

[sumidha]

It's always so intriguing how pregnancy advice (and other advice as well) varies from country to country, as here there's no prohibition to go to sauna when pregnant. (In previous centuries most babies here were actually born in a sauna, but that's another matter ;)) But I do know from living in the UK that there they have the same advice as you do.

I was really trying not to drag this thread off topic any more with the whole pregnancy in the sauna thing, but I have actually been massively curious about this and since I have a collection of sauna-ing finns to ask about it right here... :D

What are the cultural/medical opinions on pregnancy in saunas there? Here if you asked a doctor they'd tell you it was omg the worst thing ever, you're going to give your baby birth defects. My midwife was a little more realistic, she basically said that there have been some cases were it seemed that sauna (or hot tubbing) in the first trimester especially seemed to cause defects, but there have been no actual studies on it because, obviously, no one wants to stick pregnant women in saunas to try and give their babies birth defects in the name of science.

FrozenBritannia- I think you just gave me a perfect excuse to buy some acrylic hair toys! I don't own any and always have this annoying wet braid in the sauna because I don't want to use wood or metal in there. What do the rest of y'all use to hold your hair up?

[StellaKatherine]

Do you have to mix it with anything? Just pour it on?

Usually i just put some honey on my palms and work it in to my skin with round motion and then go to sauna and let the magic begin. The only difference from normal sauna use is that with honey on I do not put as much water and as often on the stones ;)

[StellaKatherine]

I was really trying not to drag this thread off topic any more with the whole pregnancy in the sauna thing, but I have actually been massively curious about this and since I have a collection of sauna-ing finns to ask about it right here... :D

What are the cultural/medical opinions on pregnancy in saunas there? Here if you asked a doctor they'd tell you it was omg the worst thing ever, you're going to give your baby birth defects. My midwife was a little more realistic, she basically said that there have been some cases were it seemed that sauna (or hot tubbing) in the first trimester especially seemed to cause defects, but there have been no actual studies on it because, obviously, no one wants to stick pregnant women in saunas to try and give their babies birth defects in the name of science.

FrozenBritannia- I think you just gave me a perfect excuse to buy some acrylic hair toys! I don't own any and always have this annoying wet braid in the sauna because I don't want to use wood or metal in there. What do the rest of y'all use to hold your hair up?

That is really interesting to hear. Could I ask where are you from ? I myself live in Finland and we have over 3 millions of saunas in our country and only 5 million of people :D They say here that going to sauna while pregnat or while breast feeding is completely safe! If sauna wouldn't be safe then taking hot showers wouldn't be save eather - you woud think :D In 2013 we have born 58 134 babies. My wild guess is that 90% of the mothers at least once went to sauna while pregnant. So actual studies coud be easily done here and I won't be suprised if they are done as well.

Oh and like I wrote earlier, I wear two 6 inch long acrylic hair sticks by Eaduard. I love how well they hold my super conditioned and deap treated hair :)

[Siiri]

What do the rest of y'all use to hold your hair up?

I use a plastic claw clip.

[FrozenBritannia]

Finland also has the best (or one of) education system in the world!

[sumidha]

StellaKatherine- I'm from the west coast of the US, and I agree completely that something doesn't quite add up... It's recommended that you forego the hot tub and take a hot bath instead, but here public hot tubs are only allowed to be 104F, which is barely warm enough for me; when I take a hot bath it's way hotter than that, so what the heck? That's when I asked the midwife about it and she basically told me to use my personal judgement because there wasn't really any scientific consensus on it.

On the other hand I do know someone who was in her late 40's who did a lot of sweat lodges during the first few weeks of her pregnancy, because she didn't know she was pregnant, and her son was born with some mild physical defects and learning disabilities. :shrug:

At this point I only have four more months to go, so I think I'll wait it out (it's my first baby, I'm probably being a little overly cautious about everything) but I'd love to see some actual science on the subject someday, just to satisfy my curiosity.

[inanna]

I think it's just one of those things where they don't advise against things that are common enough, even though there might be a slight chance of it being bad for you in some cases. In Finland, they tell you not to eat soft cheeses or raw fish, but somehow I can't imagine the French abstaining from cheese or the Japanese foregoing sushi for nine months. ;)

Then again, one of the "three S's" that are supposed to help you jumpstart labour is the sauna, because the heat relaxes you. The other two Ss are sex and cleaning (siivous in Finnish). The sauna was used as a place of birthing babies earlier, because it was the cleanest building and there was an ample supply of warm water. Doesn't seem like a particularly comfy place for it, though!

As for the honey, I have some "sauna honey" that has essential oils pre-mixed into it, but normal honey is just as good. You just spread it on your skin - if it's the grainier kind, it works as a sort of 2-in-1 scrub and moisturising treatment. Let it sit on your skin while you're enjoying the steam, and rinse off afterwards. It's especially nice if you can get someone to massage it into your back and shoulders while you're enjoying the warmth!

[FrozenBritannia]

So in finland to induce labour one is advised to have a sauna, and clean. In Canada, we are told to watch funny movies, and drive down every bumpy road in the area. :rollin:

I will be trying the honey, thanks!

[StellaKatherine]

It is interesting about the pregnancy thing. Ok this is totally off topic. When my mom was expecting in 1992 she was told here in Finland to not use any sault, suggar.. eat every morning porridge made on water without sault and butter. Mom said it was the most dreadfull 9 month of her life, then in 1996 she was expecting again and suddenly suggar and salt and butter was allowed again! The time goes and it seems the advices jump up and and down in every dirrection. What not is allowed won't be allowed next year :D

[FrozenBritannia]

I lived on ceasar salad and kraft dinner when I was pregnant with my first, no salt and butter would have been horrible!!

What temperature are saunas usually at there?

[velorutionista]

It's so interesting to see the differences in saunas in different areas! I'm in the northern US (Minnesota) and I only get to sauna in the summertime & fall when we can make it to my hubby's family cottage (it's on a lake and the sauna is right on the edge of the shore). Once it starts to snow, the cottage gets snowed in, so no more sauna--I'm super jealous of having the sauna right in the apartment--that's awesome!)

My preferred sauna temp is 190-200 F. I've been in there when they've gotten it up to 220 a few times, but that's too hot for me (hubby & his family can take the heat--maybe you need finnish genes to survive that!?)

We're hoping to build a small sauna in our back yard next summer--it would be so awesome.

[Nanna]

I prefer the sauna at 80-100 C (about 175-210 F), though if it's a good sauna, up into 120 C (250 F) is fine. Under 80 C I start to feel cold and don't quite enjoy it.

We used to sauna every week, sometimes twice a week, but we can't anymore. See, we live in a rent apartment for students, and there has apparently been some vandalism in the sauna. So, naturally, it's now closed off for anybody. I just hate it when I get punished for other people's crimes. :mad

[inanna]

I seldom look at the thermometer in the sauna so I'm guesstimating here, but anywhere from 70 C (160 F) onwards is good. If it's a dry sort of heat, I prefer it to be a bit less hot. Usually in a wood-fired sauna the steam is gentler and the temperature can be much higher without it feeling like someone is trying to burn your ears off. In the communal sauna down in our basement, we usually splash a bit of water on the rocks and on the walls in an effort to make the heat feel softer and moister.

My blood pressure isn't all that great, so I prefer to have a few good rounds of water on the stones, followed by a short break (incidentally the name for the break, "jäähy", is the same word used in ice hockey to mean penalty because the hockey players have to "cool off"). As much as I'd like to sit around enjoying the warmth for longer periods of time, too much heat in one sitting makes me lightheaded.

Nanna, what flawless logic to punish everyone for some people not knowing how to behave in a sauna! I hope they decide to reopen it soon. :)

[Rosetta]

The time goes and it seems the advices jump up and and down in every dirrection. What not is allowed won't be allowed next year :D
So true - the advice not only varies from country to country, but also from time to time... And not only pregnancy-related, but in most other areas of life too. I guess that's why I've long ago kind of stopped heeding most "professional" advice poured out to us and now use my own sense and judgement (something that's not really encouraged in this country) ;)

(Sorry for continuing the OT, but it is such an interesting topic!)

[Lippytoes]

Aaaahhh, this thread is making me want a sauna so badly. And I have no idea when I'll next have one. :( My apartment building has saunas, but the monthly cost for an hour's sauna a week is so expensive I can't afford it. I should get some friends to invite me over for a sauna... :)

My hair turns out amazing whenever I slather it in conditioner and go to the sauna. Such a good treatment for the whole body (and spirit!).

[StellaKatherine]

Lippytoes, you should ask if some of your friends would like to have a sauna beauty evening, with cool hair and skin treatments :) Nice way to invite yourself over :D

[Nanna]

Inanna, thanks, I hope so too! For now we just have to invite ourselves over to friends for sauna. :) I like the idea of having a "girls' night" with sauna and treatments, StellaKatherine!

[leilani]

I like my sauna at 60-70, otherwise I get too hot immediately... I also don't avoid it during pregnancy but listen to my body and if I'm feeling icky I get out.

[Whittles308]

Oh my goodness, I never thought about conditioning in the sauna but that's a great idea!! I usually finish my workout on the sauna by doing planks and stretching. Maybe I could put a plastic shower cap on so I don't get product everywhere? Or would a towel be better? I can't imagine a normal towel staying on my head, but maybe one of those turban towel things? Or are those bad?

[StellaKatherine]

Wonder if it would be hard to sew something with wich can cover the hair in sauna while deep treatment. In a size of a shower cap. Hmm I need to look in to it :D

[Whittles308]

Oh I don't think it would be too hard at all!! You could probably just manufacture one out of an old towel with elastic and a button to achieve something like a turban head wrap. Maybe I will try that! I have to sew a costume first but I will post pics when I get a chance!! It will probably be two weeks before I can attempt it!!