That’s a wrap
Wacky infrared sauna craze makes you look like a burrito
DETOXERS usually avoid burritos — at least the carb-bomb kind. But over the past year, celebs have flocked to LA’s Shape House, a so-called “urban sweat lodge” that wraps its VIP clients in infrared sauna blankets that eerily resemble the Tex-Mex staple.
Selena Gomez credits the heated wraps, which promise to banish toxins, with softening her skin, while “Orange Is the New Black” cast members have met there for sweats.
Now, the trend has hit the East Coast.
Katie Kaps and Lauren Berlingeri, founders of East Village spa Higher Dose, have been toting the infrared wraps at pop-ups at the Standard East Village and other spots around the city since the spring. Come September, they’ll set up a permanent shop at ABC Carpet & Home.
The wraps produce infrared radiation — light that we can’t see but can feel as heat. Proponents say the technology releases toxins, such as heavy metals and pesticides, better than a traditional sauna experience, and that the treatment can even lead to better sleep and lower blood pressure.
“When [the air around you is] really hot, your body is using sweat as a way to cool down, so it tends to sweat out minerals,” Berlingeri says. “The infrared heats your core body temperature, so the body’s not trying to cool down as much.”
Instead, she claims infrared heat “vibrates your water molecules” and “pulls toxins from fat cells.”
While not inherently more dangerous than regular saunas, doctors say there’s no evidence to prove these socalled “burrito saunas” actually work.
“You have to rely on your own experience,” says Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic. “You have to take [the claims] with a grain of salt.”
The treatment ($45 at Shape House; free at Higher Dose pop-ups) is relaxing, if nothing else.
Clients are wrapped up in what’s essentially a heated and weighted mummy suit. Headphones are provided, with one arm kept free so that users can listen to music or watch shows on their phones.
Employees can adjust the infrared temperature if needed. Clients are also encouraged to hydrate before and immediately after by drinking coconut water, chlorophyll water or juices.
Nevertheless, infrared alone won’t counteract an unhealthy diet or a sedentary lifestyle, no matter how effective it feels. “We’re Americans,” Bauer says. “We’re always looking for the magic bullet.”