Iyashi Dôme Far-infrared sauna
A far-infrared sauna you lie in with your head outside, inspired by Japanese sand bathing: thirty minutes of deep, building warmth for sleep, stress and recovery.
Key facts
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- Session
- 30 minutes, about an hour with shower and rest
- Downtime
- Usually none
- Course
- Typically a block of ten
- Device
- Iyashi Dôme, France Far-infrared capsule; your head stays outside
What the Iyashi Dôme is used for
Stress that has settled into the body. Poor sleep, jet lag, the heaviness after travel or hard training — the things a facial doesn't touch.
Concerns it may help with
Related treatments
How the Iyashi Dôme works
A far-infrared capsule inspired by suna ryōhō, the centuries-old Japanese ritual of warm sand bathing. Long-wave infrared heats the body directly rather than the air around it, so the warmth reaches deep while the room stays comfortable — and your head stays outside the dome the whole time.
Is a far-infrared sauna good for you? The benefits, and how strong the evidence is
What it offers for certain is the session itself: thirty minutes of deep, building warmth, a heavy sweat, then a shower and a rest. Beyond that, here is each benefit people ask about, with how strong the evidence is. Much of what is published about the dome itself comes from its maker's own studies, so we don't repeat it as fact.
Feeling calmer and less stressed: limited evidence. A 2018 systematic review of regular dry sauna bathing, far-infrared included, found less stress reported, but only in a small study without a comparison group.
Sleep: limited evidence. In the same review, longer sleep was reported by one study without a comparison group. In other research, warming up in a bath or shower an hour or two before bed helped people fall asleep sooner, but whether the dome does the same isn't known.
Recovery after training: thin. In a small study of ten active men, thirty minutes of far-infrared sauna after training made no measurable difference to recovery from strength work and only a small one after hard endurance work.
Skin: not established. The maker describes skin feeling softer after a session, but rigorous evidence for claims of skin rejuvenation is scant, and we don't offer the dome as a skin treatment.
Weight: not a benefit. The scales drop by the fluid you sweat, about 1.2 litres in a session by the maker's figure, and it comes back when you drink. We don't offer the dome for weight loss.
Infrared sauna vs a steam room or a Finnish sauna, and far vs near infrared: how the benefits differ
By the 2018 review's account, a traditional Finnish sauna heats the air to about 80 to 100°C with little humidity, for sessions of 5 to 20 minutes, while infrared saunas generally run cooler, at about 45 to 60°C. In the Iyashi Dôme you lie down with your head outside, and by the maker's account the air barely warms, so you breathe the room's air for the thirty minutes.
A steam room or hammam is humid rather than dry. The same review left steam out, and says it's unclear whether steam brings the same responses in the body as dry heat. Between infrared and Finnish saunas, it found too little evidence to tell their health effects apart.
Far-infrared is the long-wave end of infrared, felt as warmth; near-infrared is the short-wave end, next to visible red light, and is also used in LED panels such as our Heleo4 LED for the face. The Iyashi Dôme uses far-infrared. In the review, every infrared sauna study but one used far-infrared, and none used near-infrared alone, so there is no good evidence on how near-infrared saunas compare.
So the honest choice is by comfort: lying in dry warmth with your head outside the dome, or sitting in hot air or steam.
Who an infrared sauna suits, and who should not use one
It suits healthy adults who want thirty quiet minutes of warmth: after travel or a long flight, after hard training once you've cooled down and had water, or at the end of a heavy week. It is for rest and recovery, not to treat a condition, lose weight or treat your skin.
It isn't for you, or should wait, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding; have a heart condition, high blood pressure that isn't controlled, or blood pressure that runs low; have a fever or an infection; have drunk alcohol in the last 24 hours; have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device; or take medicines, or have a condition, that change how your body handles heat, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, multiple sclerosis or nerve damage from diabetes. The full list is below, and we go through your health and medicines first.
What to wear and drink: your first Iyashi Dôme session
Wear as little as you're comfortable with: for a full-intensity session, the maker's guidance is to go without clothes or in disposable underwear, and you undress in private. Come without make-up if you can, and leave skincare until afterwards, since sweating gets in its way.
Drink a glass of water before you start, and no alcohol in the 24 hours before. At your first visit we go through your health and the medicines you take, and set the intensity for you; the upper and lower body can be set separately. Some people barely sweat in their first sessions, which the maker says is nothing to worry about.
Allow about an hour: thirty minutes in the dome, face down first as the warmth builds and then on your back, then a shower and a rest with water. Give yourself time to cool down before you go back out into the Dubai heat.
A session, step by step
- We start with your health and the medicines you take, and set the intensity for you; the upper and lower body can be set separately.
- Come without make-up if you can, and skip skincare beforehand: it is better applied after. A glass of water before you start.
- You undress in private, as far as you are comfortable, and lie down. The dome closes over your body, and your head stays outside the whole time.
- The thirty minutes usually run in two halves: face down first as the warmth builds, then on your back, when the sweating starts in earnest. We check in, and the intensity can be adjusted as you go.
- Then a shower and a rest with water. Allow about an hour in all.
What to expect
How it feels
Thirty minutes in the dome — gradual, enveloping warmth that turns into a proper sweat in the second half. Meditative rather than punishing. Allow about an hour with the shower and rest after.
Downtime and recovery
Usually none; you will sweat a lot, and some people feel thirsty or a little light-headed for a short while. Shower, rehydrate generously, and keep the rest of the day gentle — many people sleep especially well that night.
How many sessions, and how often
One or two sessions a week as a standing ritual; recovery and wellbeing programmes run two to three a week over a month or two. A block of ten is the classic shape.
Who it may not suit
We go through your health and medicines first, because the Iyashi Dôme may not suit you, or may need to wait, if any of these apply:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- You have a heart condition, such as coronary heart disease or heart failure, or high blood pressure that is not controlled.
- Your blood pressure runs low.
- You have a fever or signs of an infection.
- You have drunk alcohol in the last 24 hours.
- You take medicines that affect how your body handles heat or fluid, such as diuretics (water tablets), beta-blockers, antihistamines or some medicines for mental health: we check your list first.
- You sweat less than most people or don't feel heat normally, for example with multiple sclerosis or diabetes that has affected the nerves.
- You have had heatstroke or another illness from heat.
- You have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device.
- You have had a stroke, or you have epilepsy, a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia, or cancer.
- You have had a major injury or an operation in the past week.
- You have another serious health condition: the maker asks that you check with your own doctor first.
Risks and side effects of the Iyashi Dôme
Common and short-lived: heavy sweating and thirst, and feeling warm or a little light-headed for a short while afterwards. In studies of heat sessions, mild discomfort from the heat is the usual complaint.
Less common: dizziness or a drop in blood pressure, and dehydration if the fluid you sweat isn't replaced. Some people find the heat too much: say so, and we turn it down or stop.
Rare but important: heat adds strain on the heart, which matters with unstable heart disease, and alcohol is a common factor in the most serious problems recorded with heat bathing. That's why we ask about your heart, blood pressure and medicines first, and ask you not to drink beforehand.
Aftercare
- Take your time getting up at the end, and sit down if you feel light-headed.
- Drink water steadily over the next few hours. In the Dubai summer, drink more, and give yourself time to cool down before you go back out into the heat.
- Apply your skincare after the session rather than before.
- Keep the rest of the day gentle, and avoid alcohol for 24 hours.
- Tell us straight away if you feel faint or unwell during or after a session.
How pricing works
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on how often you come, whether a single visit, a block of ten or a standing ritual of one or two sessions a week. You know the cost before you start, and we suggest only the rhythm that suits what you're after.
Our take
The Iyashi Dôme is a ritual, not a procedure — and we hold its bigger claims lightly.
Much of the published evidence around the dome comes from the manufacturer's own studies, so we don't repeat it as fact. What we stand behind is the ritual itself: an hour of deep, quiet warmth. Better sleep and a calmer week are often why people come, though we can't promise them.
Questions people ask
Is the Iyashi Dôme a medical treatment?
No. Its maker describes it as a wellbeing and beauty device, not a medical device, and that is how we use it: for warmth, rest and recovery, not to treat a condition.
Does a far-infrared sauna have benefits for weight loss or “detox”?
We don't offer it for either. You do lose fluid as you sweat, which is why we ask you to drink before and after. Claims about calories burned or toxins removed come mostly from the maker's own small studies, and we don't repeat them as fact.
Will it help me sleep or recover?
Sleep is the reason many people come, but it isn't something we can promise. The independent research is limited: a systematic review of regular dry heat sessions, far-infrared included, found studies of variable quality, mostly in people with medical conditions rather than healthy adults. So we offer it for how it feels, without promising more.
I have breast or joint implants. Can I use the dome?
Tell us first. The maker states that a prosthesis, such as a breast or hip implant, is not a reason to avoid a session, although some research on much longer heat sessions has left out people with breast implants. A pacemaker or another implanted electronic device is a reason to skip it.
Can I have a session during Ramadan?
Yes, ideally after iftar. You sweat a lot, and drinking water before and after a session matters, which you can't do while fasting.
Hot or cold: the Iyashi Dôme's infrared heat vs cryotherapy, and can I combine them?
They feel like opposites: thirty minutes of building warmth that ends in a proper sweat, or two to three minutes of intense, dry cold that most people find bracing. Both are for comfort and recovery rather than treatment, and the evidence for both is limited, so we suggest trying the one that appeals and judging it by how you feel. Some people like both, though there is little good research on combining them. If you'd like both on one day, tell us: after the dome you'd need to cool down, shower and dry off completely before the cryotherapy chamber, since damp skin raises the risk of a cold burn. Each has its own reasons to wait, so we check your health for both.
Where can I book an Iyashi Dôme far-infrared sauna session at a clinic in Jumeirah, Dubai, and what does it cost?
At CREAMÉ, our villa at 350 Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah 1, where the Aesthetic Clinic, Cosmetology and Wellness share one roof. The Iyashi Dôme is our infrared sauna: a far-infrared capsule you lie in with your head outside, and we check your health and medicines before setting the intensity. We don't publish prices: the cost depends on whether you come for a single session, a block of ten or a standing ritual of one or two a week, and you know it before you start.
Iyashi Dôme before and after: what are the benefits of an infrared sauna, and how long before I see results?
We don't show photographs of results: the dome changes how you feel rather than how you look. The benefit we can stand behind is the session itself: thirty minutes of deep, building warmth, a heavy sweat, then a shower and a rest. Better sleep and a calmer week are often why people come, though we can't promise them, and independent research on regular sauna bathing is limited. How a session feels is clear from the first. Beyond that, the maker suggests a block of ten, based on its own studies of about eight sessions at two a week, whose results we don't repeat as fact.
Iyashi Dôme vs a traditional dry sauna: how hot does it get, and how does a far-infrared sauna work differently?
It warms your body rather than the air. A traditional sauna heats the air, to 70 to 110°C by the maker's figures, and you sit breathing it. In the Iyashi Dôme, far-infrared warms your body directly while, the maker says, the air barely warms; you lie down with your head outside, so you breathe the room's air. The warmth builds gradually, the sweat usually starts in earnest in the second half of the thirty minutes, and the upper and lower body can be set separately.
What are the side effects and risks of a far-infrared sauna session in the Iyashi Dôme?
Usually: heavy sweating, thirst and feeling briefly light-headed. Less often: dizziness, a drop in blood pressure, or dehydration if fluid isn't replaced. Rarely, heat strains the heart, and alcohol is a common factor in the most serious problems recorded with heat bathing. It isn't for you during pregnancy or breastfeeding, within 24 hours of alcohol, or with a heart condition, low or uncontrolled high blood pressure, a fever or a pacemaker. The full list is on this page, and we check your health and medicines first.
How long should a far-infrared sauna session be, how much time should I allow, and how many sessions per week?
Ours last thirty minutes, in two halves, about an hour with the shower and rest. The rhythm is weekly rather than daily: one or two sessions a week as a standing ritual, or two to three a week over a month or two for recovery. No time of day suits everyone. If sleep is your reason, the evening may suit: in research on warm baths, warming up an hour or two before bed helped people fall asleep sooner, though whether the dome does the same isn't known.
Infrared sauna aftercare: what should I do before and after a session?
Before: no alcohol for 24 hours, no make-up if you can, no skincare, and a glass of water; at your first visit, we go through your health and the medicines you take. After: get up slowly, shower and rest with water, then keep drinking steadily for a few hours, more in summer, and give yourself time to cool down before you go back out into the heat. Apply your skincare then, keep the day gentle and avoid alcohol for another 24 hours. Tell us straight away if you feel faint.
What does the research say about infrared sauna recovery benefits after training?
Very little so far. In a small study of ten active men, thirty minutes of far-infrared sauna after training made no measurable difference to recovery from strength work and only a small one after a hard endurance session; the researchers described it as a comfortable, relaxing experience. So it can make recovery feel better, but the evidence that it speeds recovery is thin. Recovery programmes run two to three sessions a week over a month or two, with plenty of water before and after each.
Is a far-infrared sauna good for your skin, and what are the skin benefits?
The maker describes skin feeling softer after a session, but we don't offer the dome as a skin treatment: a review of regular sauna bathing notes that rigorous evidence for claims of skin rejuvenation is scant. Apply your skincare after the session, not before. Heat can make melasma worse, so tell us if you have it. After some skin treatments the dome waits: 24 hours after MOXI, a few days after Sylfirm X, about a week after BBL HEROic, and a week or two after Ultraformer MPT or Volnewmer.
Are the benefits of an infrared sauna different for women and men, and can I use one during or after pregnancy?
The session is the same for women and men: thirty minutes of warmth, with the intensity set to your health and comfort. During pregnancy and while breastfeeding, the dome isn't for you: a raised body temperature in early pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of neural tube defects in the baby. After that, we check your health as for anyone. For men trying for a baby: in one small study, twice-weekly traditional sauna sessions lowered sperm counts over three months, back to normal six months after stopping.
Far-infrared sauna vs red light therapy: how do the benefits differ?
They do different jobs. The Iyashi Dôme's far-infrared is felt as heat: thirty minutes that warm the whole body until you sweat, for rest and recovery. Red is one of the LED colours of our Heleo4 LED in Cosmetology, alongside blue, green and near-infrared: light on the face for twenty to forty minutes, only slightly warm, to calm reactive, breakout-prone or recovering skin. The dome isn't a skin treatment and LED doesn't warm the body, so choose by what you're after.
How long and how often should I use a far-infrared sauna to get the benefits?
Thirty minutes, one to three times a week, is the rhythm we suggest, though no one has worked out an ideal: a review of regular dry sauna bathing said more research is needed on how often and for how long. As a standing ritual, one or two sessions a week; for recovery, two to three a week over a month or two, with water before and after each. You'll know how a session feels from the first; whether you sleep better or feel calmer is judged over a few weeks.
Should I use an infrared sauna before or after a workout, and what are the benefits for muscle recovery?
After, rather than before: a session ends in a heavy sweat, and some people feel a little light-headed for a while, which is no way to start a workout. Come once you have cooled down and had water, since training has already cost you fluid. The evidence on muscle recovery is thin: in a small study, far-infrared sauna after training made no difference to recovery from strength work and only a small difference after hard endurance work. It can make recovery feel better; that it speeds recovery is unproven.
Can I use an infrared sauna daily, and what are the benefits and side effects of everyday use?
We don't plan it daily: whether daily sessions bring more than weekly ones hasn't been studied well enough to say. Our rhythm is weekly, with no more than two to three sessions a week for recovery. Each session costs a lot of fluid, about 1.2 litres of sweat by the maker's figure, and thirst, light-headedness and dehydration are the side effects that build if it isn't replaced. If you would like to come more often, tell us, and we'll weigh it against your health and medicines.
Sources
- Iyashi Dôme. Frequently asked questions: sessions, contraindications and hydration (the maker's page).
- Iyashi Dôme. Clinical trials (the maker's own studies).
- Hussain J, Cohen M. Clinical effects of regular dry sauna bathing: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018;2018:1857413.
- Whole-body hyperthermia for mood and anxiety disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06144294.
- Hyperthermia as an additional treatment for the biology and experience of depression: the HEATBED study. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05041361.
- The effects of passive heat therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05924919.
- Mero A, Tornberg J, Mäntykoski M, Puurtinen R. Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men. SpringerPlus. 2015;4:321.
- Haghayegh S, Khoshnevis S, Smolensky MH, Diller KR, Castriotta RJ. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019;46:124–135.
- Moretti ME, Bar-Oz B, Fried S, Koren G. Maternal hyperthermia and the risk for neural tube defects in offspring: systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology. 2005;16(2):216–219.
Updated 30 October 2026