Red Light Therapy Before or After Sauna: What’s Best?

You've invested in both a sauna and a red light therapy device for your home wellness routine, and now you're wondering which one to use first for the best results. The good news is that both sequences work, and the right choice depends on your specific goals. You can use it for warming up before a workout, supporting muscle recovery, boosting skin health, or building heat tolerance.

This guide breaks down the benefits of red light therapy before or after sauna use, provides clear timing protocols for each approach, and helps you match the sequence to your wellness objectives. 

Quick Answer

Use the sauna first, then red light therapy after a brief cool-down. This sequence is the most effective approach for recovery, skin health, and overall wellness benefits.

The heat from your sauna session increases blood flow throughout your body, with research showing blood flow can increase by 180-390% in major arteries, which then prepares your cells for the healing light treatment.¹ As a result, red light therapy works more effectively to support cellular recovery and reduce inflammation.

Red Light Therapy Before a Sauna

Red light therapy is a treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate cellular energy production. When you use this approach, your cells can function more efficiently and better prepare for heat exposure.

Using red light therapy before your sauna acts as a gentle warm-up without significantly raising your core temperature. The light energy primes your muscles and circulation, setting you up for the deeper heat you'll experience in the sauna, and research shows this approach reduces muscle soreness when applied before physical stress.²

Best For:

This sequence works well for specific wellness goals. Consider red light therapy first when you want:

• Pre-workout preparation: Light therapy relaxes muscles and joints before exercise, then use the sauna afterward for recovery.
• Gentle tissue warming: Red light therapy for joint pain is perfect for people with arthritis or chronic stiffness who need gradual heat introduction.
• Heat tolerance building: Helps those who find saunas initially uncomfortable by preconditioning the body.

How To Do It

Start with a 10-minute red light therapy session, positioning the device 6–12 inches from your target areas like shoulders, back, or legs. Once you're finished, enter the sauna immediately to take advantage of this preparatory effect.

Keep your sauna session moderate, lasting 15–20 minutes, and hydrate well throughout the process.

Red Light Therapy After a Sauna

Using red light therapy after your sauna takes advantage of the increased blood flow and vasodilation caused by heat. Vasodilation means your blood vessels widen, which allows better circulation throughout your body.

This timing supports inflammation reduction, skin repair, and deeper cellular recovery after the beneficial stress of heat therapy. Red light therapy works by helping to stimulate mitochondria, the tiny 'powerhouses' in your cells, to reduce inflammation and boost the production of collagen, a structural protein that makes skin stronger and more supple.³

The post-sauna period is an ideal time to maximize infrared sauna skin benefits, since heat opens pores and boosts circulation.

Best For:

Sauna-first sequences excel for recovery and skin-related wellness goals. This approach works best for:

• Recovery days: Supports muscle repair, reduces soreness, and calms your nervous system after training.
• Skin health routines: Heat opens pores while subsequent light therapy promotes collagen production.
• Cellular regeneration: Combines heat stress with light energy to amplify your body's repair processes.

How To Do It

Allow 10–15 minutes for your body temperature to normalize after exiting the sauna. Next, position your red light therapy device at the recommended distance and focus on the areas that need attention.

Use a 10–15 minute light therapy session, then rehydrate and rest to complete your recovery cycle.

Best Overall Approach: Sauna First, Then Red Light

For most wellness goals, including recovery, skin health, and inflammation support, using the sauna first creates superior results. This sequence produces a synergistic effect between heat and light therapy that maximizes your wellness benefits.

Heat induces beneficial stress that triggers adaptation and improves circulation throughout your body. When you follow up with red light therapy, it supports your cells during recovery while amplifying the benefits of the heat treatment.

Why This Works

This order maximizes benefits because both therapies work through different but complementary mechanisms. Here's what happens in your body:

• Heat boosts circulation: Sauna heat dilates blood vessels, increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to prepare your body for deeper repair.
• Light amplifies cellular energy: Red light therapy stimulates ATP production through upregulation of cellular metabolism, accelerating recovery and supporting resilience after heat stress.⁴
• Complementary pathways: Heat works through thermal effects while light uses photobiomodulation, so stacking them maximizes health benefits.

Practical Protocol (Time, Frequency, Hydration)

Follow this actionable protocol for consistent results: 

• Time: Spend 15–20 minutes in the sauna, 10–15 minutes cool-down, then 10–15 minutes of red light therapy. 
• Frequency: When it comes to how often you should use an infrared sauna, the ideal range is 3–5 times per week for best results.
• Hydration: This is crucial for both safety and effectiveness throughout your sessions. Dehydration can cause thirst, headaches, muscle cramps and confusion, so make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after sessions to replace fluids lost through sweating.⁵

If you're new to either therapy, start with shorter sessions and gradually build tolerance over time. Pairing one of our infrared saunas with our red light devices makes following this protocol simple at home.

Sample Routine

Here's your step-by-step approach for combining both therapies effectively:

• Sauna session: Enter well-hydrated and relax for 15–20 minutes, allowing deep warming and sweating.
• Cool-down period: Step out, towel off, sip water, and let your core temperature drop naturally for 10–15 minutes.
• Light therapy: Position your device properly and target key areas for 10–15 minutes of healing light.
• Recovery time: Rehydrate thoroughly and rest to integrate the session benefits.

Choose Timing by Goal

Your primary wellness goal determines the best sequence for your needs. Understanding what you want to achieve helps you create a perfectly tailored routine that works for your lifestyle.

This simple framework matches your sequence to your desired outcome, empowering you to take control of your health journey.

Warm-Up & Tolerance

Use red light therapy first when your goal is easing into sauna sessions, improving heat tolerance, or preparing muscles before workouts. This gentle approach works particularly well for sauna beginners or anyone wanting a gradual warm-up before physical activity.

Recovery & Skin Support

Choose a sauna first when focusing on muscle recovery, inflammation support, skin rejuvenation, or deep relaxation. This sequence leverages elevated circulation and open pores to maximize red light therapy effectiveness for tissue repair and collagen production.

Safety & Sensible Use

Listen to your body throughout every session, as this is your best guide for safe practice. If you feel overheated, lightheaded, or uncomfortable, shorten your session or take a break immediately.

Always hydrate thoroughly and allow adequate cool-down time between sauna and red light therapy to prevent dehydration or overheating. Additionally, use eye protection when using high-output devices near your face.

Before starting any new wellness regimen, consult a healthcare professional, especially if you have underlying health conditions.

When to Modify or Skip

Certain situations require adjusting or skipping your routine entirely. Pay attention to these important guidelines:

• Skip when unwell: Avoid sessions if you have fever, active infections, or unusual fatigue.
• Start gradually: Begin with one therapy at a time before combining both treatments.
• Consider medications: Some drugs affect heat or light tolerance, so check with your healthcare provider.
• Adjust for conditions: Those with chronic illness or heat sensitivity should start with shorter, lower-intensity sessions.

Discover Lifepro Red Light Therapy Devices and Personal Saunas

We offer comprehensive red light therapy devices and personal infrared saunas designed for accessible home wellness. Our products come with lifetime support and a community ready to help personalize your routine for your unique needs.

Explore our collection of wellness equipment to find saunas and red light therapy devices that help you build a recovery protocol tailored to your specific goals. Whether you're seeking pre-workout preparation, post-exercise recovery, or everyday relaxation, we're here to support your wellness journey every step of the way.

Sources:

1. PubMed National Institutes of Health. The vascular response to acute sauna heating is similar in young and middle-aged adults. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38271083/
2. PubMed National Institutes of Health. Effects of photobiomodulation, intermittent pneumatic compression and neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle recovery: Systematic review with meta-analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40954632/
3. Harvard Health Publishing. Red light therapy for skin care. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-light-therapy-for-skin-care
4. ScienceDirect. Photobiomodulation CME part I: Overview and mechanism of action. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962224001865
5. Cleveland Clinic. Get Your Sweat On: The Benefits of a Sauna. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sauna-benefits