If you’re like most people, you start dripping in sweat just a few minutes after you get into the sauna. However, there are a lot of people that don’t sweat at all in the sauna.
First off, you should know that not sweating in the sauna is completely normal, but you should get to the bottom of why it happens (or doesn’t). Why aren’t you sweating in the sauna?
Your Sauna Isn’t Hot Enough
The most common reason that you’re not sweating is that your sauna isn’t hot enough. Seems too simple to be true!
The main driver of sweat is heat, so if your sauna isn’t hot enough, you’re just not going to sweat.
If you’re in a public sauna in the US, it might not be possible to turn up the temperature. If this doesn’t describe you, you can either turn up the dial or throw some more water on the rocks!
Dehydration Stops Sweat
The second biggest cause of lack of sweat is dehydration. If your body isn’t sufficiently saturated with water, it’s not going to give up its remaining water for you to start sweating.
This can cause some pretty bad issues, like overheating, but also problems all over your body commonly associated with dehydration.
Because sauna temperatures are so high, if you’re not sweating and cooling yourself down, you put yourself at a much higher risk of overheating.
Before you go to the sauna, and throughout the day in general, make sure you’re getting enough water.
Sweat Gland Issues
Sweat gland problems can also cause problems with sweating. Some people are born with fewer glands, some people are born with underactive glands, and some people develop less active sweat glands throughout their life.
Either way, if this is your problem, it’s pretty much out of your control.
Unfortunately, this also means that you have to be much more careful in the sauna. Just like dehydration, if you’re not sweating for any reason you open yourself up to overheating.
Because this problem likely won’t go away, every time you go to the sauna you’ll have to make sure that you’re not getting too hot.
You’re Not in the Sauna Long Enough
Another cause could be that you’re not sitting in the sauna long enough. Some people take longer to start sweating, and you might start to get too hot before you actually start sweating.
This is an interesting problem because sweating is supposed to cool you down. If you get out before you start sweating, you’re missing out on a lot of time in the sauna.
Next time you’re in the sauna, if you start to get hot before you start sweating, try waiting a few extra minutes.
Don’t push yourself if you’re truly too hot or overheating. You don’t want to hurt yourself, but you also want to give your body enough time to start sweating and be able to get all of the benefits possible.
Skin Diseases Can Block Sweat
Certain skin diseases can also block sweat from making it to the surface of your skin.
For example, a condition called prickly heat causes sweat to become trapped in the skin, usually because the sweat ducts are narrowed or blocked.
In this case, it’s usually only in a specific area and doesn’t stop sweating across your whole body. However, other conditions can cause worse issues. Scar tissue can also cause sweating problems.
Either way, again, if you have a condition that causes you to not be able to sweat, make sure that you’re not overheating in the sauna.
Lack of Electrolytes
If you’re any type of athlete, you’ll know that you lose electrolytes when you sweat. You can also have low electrolytes depending on your diet, diseases/conditions, and certain medications.
If your body is already low on electrolytes, it will have trouble producing sweat. You may still sweat a bit, or you may not sweat at all. This all depends on your body and how low your electrolytes actually are.
I can’t really recommend any of the sports drinks that people usually mention when talking about electrolytes, but make sure that before the sauna, and throughout the day especially if you’re active, you’re getting enough water and nutrients.