Entering your first public steam room or sauna can be a daunting social experience. For many people, they don’t realize until they’re in there that they don’t know what’s considered appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. In nude saunas, that feeling can grow tenfold. Being in a humid space with others comes with certain etiquette rules that shouldn’t be forgotten so here we go on clearing a few things up.
Do bring in a towel.
In any steam room or public sauna, you always want to carry in a towel to sit on. This is considered most sanitary and a necessary element of sauna etiquette. Whether you’re nude or not, bringing in a towel shows you know what you’re doing.
Don’t wear a swimsuit.
A swimsuit is going to trap heat and moisture into the material, in addition to possibly seeing its dyes run out into your pores. Although a swimsuit might seem like a natural idea, it’s the worst thing a person could wear walking into a sauna.
Do take a shower.
Always take a shower before sauna use. This keeps your skin clean and fresh, and ready to tap into the heat. Some spas will even supervise their guests as they enter the shower and prior to entering the sauna. It’s a requirement for a lot of high-end saunas in the world.
Don’t wear metal jewelry.
It’s going to get hot! Take off all metal jewelry or hooks, or anything you might be wearing which could hold in the heat and burn you. You don’t want to be thinking, for the whole time you’re in there, ‘ouch!’.
Do drink your water.
Before, during, and after, keep hydrated. The hot temperatures prevent sweat from evaporating which means you’re losing fluid but not cooling down. Your body’s going to continue sweating indefinitely. Without water, you’re going to end up dehydrated fast.
Don’t ask questions.
If you see someone doing some interesting stretches or who is clearly involved in some sort of routine, don’t interrupt them by asking what they’re doing. Everyone wants to be left alone in these sort of environments.
Do pick your seat carefully and close the door.
First off, you want to choose where you sit wisely. Heat rises and so the top benches will be the hottest. If this is your first time, it's probably best to stick closer to the floor. Secondly, always remember to close the door. Leaving it open sends all the heat out.
Don’t be nervous.
Anyone in a sauna is focused on themselves, not on others. Let’s say it’s a nude sauna, it might be natural to feel a little weird about being naked in front of strangers. There is some comfort and liberation in it, and you’ve got to get comfortable with it rather quickly. It’s now or never. Also, don’t stare at others. Focus on yourself. This is a rule hopefully others are abiding by as well.
Don’t be competitive.
Saunas and steam rooms aren’t designed for competition. You may try to prove how tough and in shape you are by outlasting your friends or others in there but if this is your objective, you’re failing to relax and even worse, it’s not safe.
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