Is Sauna Bad for Your Hair? The Truth About Heat Damage - And How to Avoid It

If you've been considering adding sauna sessions to your wellness routine, you've probably heard about all the amazing benefits, from improved whole-body vitality and better recovery to stress relief and more. But there's one concern that keeps coming up — what does all that heat actually do to your hair?

It's a legitimate question. The answer is more nuanced than most people realise.

We Won’t Sugar Coat It… The Hair Damage Can Be Real

Research shows that traditional sauna exposure may play a role in several types of hair damage:

• Cuticle Damage: Heat exposure can chip away at the outer protective layer of your hair shaft, creating structural damage over time. While most research on heat damage to hair comes from styling tools blasting 140–200 °C directly onto strands, studies suggest ~60 °C is the ideal upper temperature limit for drying hair. Even though saunas typically run hotter (usually 70–100 °C), repeated hair exposure to temperatures above 60 °C is not recommended because cuticle damage may still occur — slower, subtler, and cumulative.
• Protein Bond Weakening: The keratin structure that gives your hair strength and elasticity may weaken under consistent heat exposure; studies show heat can cause protein denaturation in hair fibres.
• Cuticle Porosity: Heating and drying cycles can increase cuticle porosity, leaving strands weak and prone to breakage. This is especially problematic for dry or chemically-treated hair.
• Scalp Sebum Changes: Heat may stimulate the scalp’s oil glands, which can leave hair looking greasy and weighed down after sessions; individual responses vary.

The Good News: You Can Take Simple Measures To Support Your Hair

If you want to use traditional saunas while minimising hair damage, try the following practical steps:

1. Wear Protective Headwear

   Use a sauna hat or wrap your hair in a damp towel to shield it from direct heat exposure.

2. Apply Pre-Treatment Protection

   Before entering, apply coconut oil, argan oil, or a leave-in conditioner to create a protective barrier against moisture loss.

3. Limit Session Duration

   Keep sessions to 15–20 minutes maximum to reduce prolonged heat exposure.

4. Use Gentle Post-Session Care

   Wash with a shampoo containing mild surfactants and follow with a hydrating conditioner.

5. Wait After Chemical Treatments

   If you've recently coloured or chemically treated your hair, wait 48–72 hours before sauna use.

6. Switch to an Infrared Sauna

   Unlike traditional saunas that blast hot air around your entire head and body, infrared saunas use far infrared wavelengths to gently induce sweating at lower ambient temperatures. This means less environmental heat stress for hair while still delivering wellness benefits.

Sauna Blankets: A Practical Alternative

Obviously, switching to a full-sized infrared sauna isn't practical for most people — expensive installations and space requirements are real barriers. Combined with the precautions above, devoting extra time to hair maintenance can make a heat ritual less appealing.

That’s why an infrared sauna blanket is an attractive option: it delivers the benefits of infrared heat therapy while keeping your head outside the heat zone entirely. You simply lie down, zip up to your neck, and enjoy 20–45 minutes of therapeutic infrared heat while your hair remains unaffected.

How a Sauna Blanket Helps

• Head stays cool: No direct ambient heat on hair or scalp.
• No extra hair protocols: No need for pre- or post-session hair routines specifically for heat protection.
• Longer, safer sessions: You can enjoy deeper sessions without the same hair damage concerns.

Practical Benefits of Sauna Blankets

• Cost-Effective: One-time investment that costs a fraction compared to ongoing spa fees or full home installations.
• Convenience: Use it anywhere in your home, anytime that suits your schedule.
• No Preparation Required: No extra hair care products, no special clothing, and minimal setup.
• Longer Sessions: Since hair damage risk is eliminated, sessions can be extended for deeper benefits.

Not all sauna blankets are created equally. The BON CHARGE Sauna Blanket is positioned in the market as a premium, low-EMF infrared option with advanced temperature balancing layers, which is why many experts recommend it.

Discover the BON CHARGE Sauna Blanket here.

The Bottom Line

You can definitely enjoy traditional saunas without compromising hair health — provided you follow pre-session precautions and dedicate time to post-session care. If you want a more practical, lower-risk route to the proven benefits of heat therapy, a quality infrared sauna blanket offers a much simpler path forward.

Remember: the best wellness routine is one you can maintain consistently, without stress or downsides.

References

1. Bories, M. F., Martini, M. C., Et, M. F. & Cotte, J. Effects of heat treatment on hair structure. International Journal of Cosmetic Science 6, 201–211 (1984).
2. Lee, Y. et al. Hair Shaft Damage from Heat and Drying Time of Hair Dryer. Annals of Dermatology 23, 455–462 (2011).
3. Kim, S., Park, J. W., Yeon, Y., Han, J. Y. & Kim, E. Influence of exposure to summer environments on skin properties. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JEADV) 33, 2192–2196 (2019).
4. Kaushik, V. et al. Benefit of coconut-based hair oil via hair porosity quantification. International Journal of Cosmetic Science 44, 289–298 (2022).
5. BON CHARGE Sauna Blanket — product page / manufacturer information.