Short answer
The sources reviewed here do not establish a safe or most effective order for combining sauna and whole-body cryotherapy. Feeling normal after cooling down is not a safety clearance. Discuss suitability with a clinician before considering whole-body cryotherapy.
Cryotherapy centres and spas often offer a sauna as well, so the question comes up a lot: which one first, and how long should you wait? The sources reviewed for this guide do not establish a safe combined routine. This guide sticks to what is known and what to ask before you book.
Should you use the sauna before or after cryotherapy?
The sources cited here do not establish which order is safest or how long an individual should wait. That is a limit of this guide’s evidence, not a claim that every possible study has been checked. Do not use a fixed waiting rule from this page as personal clearance.
What you can do:
- Ask about suitability before booking. A package that includes both treatments does not establish that combining them is suitable for you.
- Do not use cooling down as clearance. Drinking water and feeling well do not establish that a subsequent cryotherapy session is safe for you.
- Follow the centre. Ask about its health questions and safety instructions before your first session, follow them, and ask how it handles sauna use on the same day.
- Stop if you feel unwell. Dizziness, nausea or feeling faint are reasons to end the session, not to push through.
What is whole-body cryotherapy?
Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) means standing in a chamber or cabin filled with extremely cold, dry air, below −100°C, for about two to four minutes, as described in a Cochrane review. Some chambers are cooled with liquid nitrogen, others electrically. It is very different from a cold shower or a cold plunge, which use water.
What does the evidence say?
The historical evidence cited here has limits. A 2015 Cochrane review found only four small trials with 64 mostly young, male participants. The authors concluded there is insufficient evidence to say whether whole-body cryotherapy reduces muscle soreness or improves recovery after exercise, and that the trials did not monitor side effects properly.
The American Academy of Dermatology’s patient guidance, updated 17 July 2023, warns about whole-body cryotherapy and advises seeing a doctor before considering it. This guide does not verify the current regulatory status of individual devices or establish a combined sauna-and-cryotherapy protocol.
What are the risks?
The AAD describes frostbite, cold-related skin injury and reports of suffocation and eye injury associated with whole-body cryotherapy. These risks are not removed simply by choosing a different order for heat and cold.
The sauna has its own risks, mainly overheating and dehydration. Our sauna tips cover the basics, and the NHS explains the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Cryotherapy or a cold plunge after the sauna?
Whole-body cryotherapy exposes you to extremely cold air; a plunge or shower uses water. These are different exposures, and evidence about one should not be transferred to the other as a safety guarantee. See our guide to sauna with a cold plunge and what to do after a sauna.
Who should talk to a doctor first?
The AAD advises seeing a doctor before considering whole-body cryotherapy and notes that some conditions, including heart disease or nerve damage, can worsen with it. Do not use cryotherapy or the sauna in place of treatment your doctor has recommended.
FAQ
How long should I wait between sauna and cryotherapy?
The sources reviewed here do not establish a safe waiting interval. Cooling down and feeling well do not establish personal suitability; discuss this with a clinician.
Can you do cryotherapy right after an infrared sauna?
The sources reviewed here do not establish a safe immediate transition. A lower sauna temperature or feeling well does not establish that combining the treatments is suitable for you.
Does cryotherapy help with muscle recovery?
It is not proven. A 2015 Cochrane review of four small trials found insufficient evidence that whole-body cryotherapy reduces muscle soreness or improves recovery after exercise.
Does feeling well after a sauna mean cryotherapy is safe for me?
No. Feeling well is not a medical assessment or a safety clearance. Discuss suitability with a clinician before considering whole-body cryotherapy.
Is cryotherapy the same as a cold plunge after the sauna?
No. Whole-body cryotherapy uses extremely cold air; a cold plunge or shower uses water. Descriptions of research exposures are not a personal treatment schedule or proof that either option is suitable after sauna.
Sources
- Costello JT et al., Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015, accessed 15.10.2026
- American Academy of Dermatology, Whole body cryotherapy can be hazardous to your skin, updated 17 July 2023, accessed 20.10.2026
- NHS, Heat exhaustion and heatstroke, accessed 15.10.2026
This article is general information, not medical advice.