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To wear, or not to wear; that is the question! All kidding aside, there are some serious things to discuss when it comes to the question of clothing inside of saunas. Some people have no problems when it comes to stripping down to their birthday suits, no matter who sees them! The majority of the population however does have problems with being seen naked in public – even in a sauna. What then, is considered proper etiquette in a sauna when it comes to clothing?

I will never forget one moment in my childhood when I opened a sauna door and encountered a very unattractive, naked woman sitting inside. I quickly closed the door, and saunas have never been the same for me since! Granted, there are some settings in which you can go without your clothes in a sauna. For example, if you own your own private sauna in your home, there shouldn’t be a problem going in your birthday suit! Another example would be at a private club where the clothing option is clearly stated. In a public sauna however, it really is best to leave your clothes on.

Europeans have been using saunas for generations now, and North Americans only discovered them a few years ago. It is well known in Europe that saunas work the best when the user is not wearing any clothes at all, and maybe nudity is more accepted over there because of this fact. In North America however, nudity is not so acceptable! It is better to use a sauna without clothing, but when you think about sharing space with eight or nine other people – especially when those people are complete strangers, clothing is suddenly more important than getting the best use of the sauna.

Another reason not to forget your clothes when going into the sauna is because of the position your body must be in to get the maximum results. Sauna experts will tell you not to sit in the sauna – you must lie down to get the full sauna benefits. They will also tell you that if you do have to sit down, it is best not to let your feet dangle. In these positions, it is probably best to be clothed!

You can get away with a very small bathing suit, or even wearing a towel wrapped around your body in the sauna. As long as the material of the suit and the towel is made of breathable cotton, you should still be able to reap the full benefits of the sauna. Some very uncomfortable moments can be created when you don’t pay attention to the kind of sauna you are entering without clothing – please pay close attention to this very important detail!

Saunas can be a great experience for anyone who wants to go, and you’ve got to remember not to spoil that experience for everyone else! (Like it was spoiled for me!) Home saunas are pretty affordable to build, and if you choose an infrared sauna, it is actually cheap to run as well, and you can feel free to wear your birthday suit as much as you want.

It is no secret that saunas are fun. It is especially great when you have your very own sauna in your home, and you can have your friends and family over for a sauna party. Even gathering together with your loved ones at “the club” for a sauna party can be a lot of fun for you and your friends. However, at most types of parties, the host or hostess will usually want to serve alcohol to his or her guests.

Too many people do not realize that the high heat of a running sauna and the intoxication of alcohol just do not mix.

There have been a lot of studies taken about alcohol and sauna mix and none of them show that the two are a good mix. In Finland, where the sauna was born, and is used the most, they found that when you mix sauna heat and alcohol, serious accidents can and do occur.

I don’t mean to completely ruin the party of course; everything is all right as long as it is in moderation. If you have to have alcohol at your sauna party, please try to keep it to a bare minimum before and during the time in the sauna. After everyone has had enough sauna time, feel free to drink more (responsibly, of course!), but if you consume too much alcohol while inside the heat of the sauna room, it may have a bad effect on your body.

The above mentioned studies have all proven that drinking while in the sauna, or even before you go into the sauna, is often the cause of injuries acquired while inside saunas. Some of these injuries have been minor, such as sprained ankles or wrists and minor burns, and some injuries were not so minor, such as head trauma, heart attacks, heat stroke and fainting. I’m sure you can see by now that drinking at a sauna party might not be such a good idea! Not only are these injuries possible when you drink in the sauna, but also, there have been deaths associated with the mix of alcohol and sauna heat.

When you are inside of a hot sauna for any period of time, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body, and consuming alcohol, even if you do not get drunk, can make your heart’s job all the more harder, and this will cause some problems to your body. Not only can intoxication harm you while you are in a sauna, but also, if you have had a few drinks the night before and you are hung over, entering a hot sauna can still be detrimental to your health.

Your sauna party can still be fun, even without alcohol. If you have to have alcohol to have fun, you may want to rethink your version of “fun” and get some help. If you still want to have some alcohol, just remember to know your limits, and drink in moderation.