Alright, let’s talk about this sauna thing. You hear numbers thrown around, and someone mentioned a sauna hitting 120 degrees Celsius. My first thought? “No way, you’d fry like an egg in there!” I mean, 100 degrees is boiling water, right? So 120? Sounds like a surefire way to get yourself a nasty burn.

So, I had this chance to actually try one. Not gonna lie, I was a bit hesitant. Kept thinking about it, you know? 120 degrees! That’s seriously hot. I pictured my skin sizzling. But, curiosity, man, it gets the better of you sometimes. Plus, the folks running the place seemed to know what they were doing, not like they were trying to cook their customers.

Stepping into the Heat

I decided, “Okay, let’s do this.” I didn’t do anything special beforehand, just the usual shower. Walked up to the sauna door, took a deep breath, and opened it. Whoosh! A blast of heat hit me, but it wasn’t like opening an oven with a roast chicken inside. It was… different.

I stepped in. The air was incredibly dry. That’s the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t that heavy, steamy heat you get in some places. This was more like being in a desert, but way, way hotter. I found a spot on the wooden bench, sat down, and just waited to see what would happen. My skin started to feel warm, then hot, really fast. My breathing changed too, had to take slower, more deliberate breaths.

I kept touching my arm, my leg. Hot, definitely. But burning? No. It was a strange sensation. The heat was intense, no doubt about it. You could feel it deep in your muscles. I started sweating like crazy within a minute or two. Buckets. That’s probably key, all that sweat.

So, Did I Burn?

I stayed in there for maybe, I don’t know, 5 or 7 minutes the first time. Any longer and I think I would’ve been pushing it too hard for a first go. The whole time, I was expecting that tell-tale sting of a burn, but it never came. My skin was red when I got out, sure, and I felt like I’d been baked, but there were no blisters, no pain like a burn from a hot pan or boiling water.

I think the big difference is the dryness of the heat. Water, like in steam, transfers heat much more efficiently to your skin. That’s why steam feels so scalding sometimes, even if the air temperature isn’t as high as this dry sauna. In that 120-degree dry heat, your sweat evaporates so quickly it actually cools your skin a tiny bit, creating a sort of protective layer. It’s still incredibly hot, don’t get me wrong, and you need to be sensible.

• Listen to your body. If it feels wrong, get out.
• Don’t be a hero, especially your first time. Short stints are better.
• Hydrate like mad before and after. You lose a lot of water.

So, to answer the question: 120 degrees in a dry sauna? No, it didn’t burn me, not in the way you’d think. It’s a very intense experience, and you’ve got to respect the heat. It’s not for everyone, and you definitely don’t want to overdo it. But a burn like from touching a hot stove? Nope, not what happened. It’s a different beast altogether. Still, I wouldn’t recommend trying to set a world record on your first visit!