Nude Bathing, Sauna & the Nudist Culture 

Bath House ::  A bath house is a place where people bathe. The term is most commonly used for public bath houses, where people bathe publicly. Public bath houses offer varying degrees of privacy; some are segregated by sex and/or age, while others offer private baths, and are only public in the sense that anyone may use the facilities. Bath houses are relatively rare in Western societies; most people in such cultures utilize private bathing facilities. However, other cultures have a long tradition of public bath house use; for example, see the sentos of Japan. The sweat lodges of various Native American cultures may be considered bath houses, although they do not involve immersion in water.

The Finnish sauna (generally 70-90 degrees Celsius, but can vary from 60 to 120 degrees) is the most widely known, but many cultures have close equivalents, such as the North American First Nations sweat lodge, the Turkish hammam, Roman thermae, Aztec or Maya temazcal and Russian banya. Public bathhouses that often contained a steam room were common in the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s and were inexpensive places to go to wash when private facilities were not generally available. Most North American college/university physical education complexes and many public sports centers include sauna facilities. They may also be present in a public swimming pool. This may be a separate area where swimming wear is taken off or a smaller facility in the swimming pool area where one should keep the swimming wear on.

Under many circumstances, temperatures approaching and exceeding 100 �C would be completely intolerable. Saunas overcome this problem by controlling the humidity. The hottest Finnish and Swedish saunas have very low humidity levels, which allows temperatures that could boil water to be tolerated and even enjoyed for short periods of time. Other types of sauna, such as the hammam where the humidity approaches 100%, will be set to a much lower temperature of around 40 �C to compensate. The "wet heat" would cause scalding if the temperature were set much higher. Finer control over the temperature experienced can be achieved by choosing a higher level bench for those wishing a hotter experience or a lower level bench for a more moderate temperature. Good manners requires that the door to a sauna not be kept open so long that it cools the sauna for those that are already in it. A draft, even if at 100 �C, may still be unwelcome.

Infrared saunas are growing in popularity, using far infrared rays emitted by infrared heaters to create warmth.

The sauna can be so soothing that heat prostration or the even more serious hyperthermia (heat stroke) can result. The cool shower or plunge afterwards always results in a great increase in blood pressure, so careful moderation is advised for those with a history of stroke or hypertension (high blood pressure). In Finland sauna is thought as a healing refreshment and has been used to cure people from many diseases through the times. There is even a saying: "Jos ei viina, terva tai sauna auta, tauti on kuolemaksi." (If a disease can't be cured by booze, tar, or the sauna, it is fatal.)

Alcoholic drinks are usually not used in the sauna, as the effects of heat and alcohol are cumulative, although in the Finnish sauna culture a beer afterwards is thought to be refreshing and relaxing. Pouring a few centiliters of beer into the water that is poured on the hot stones releases the odor of the grain used to brew the beer, and can bring a wonderful smell of freshly baked bread into the air.

Social and mixed gender nudity with adults and children is quite common in the conventional sauna, with a strict prohibition of any form of sexual activity. In fact the sauna is considered not only a sex-free, but also almost a gender-free zone. It may also be noted that practicing sex in an environment where the temperature approaches 100 �C would be impractical at the least. In the dry sauna and on chairs one sometimes sits on a towel for hygiene and comfort; in the steam bath the towel is left outside. Sometimes draping the towel around the waist is required in the restaurant area.

As an additional facility a sauna may have one or more jacuzzis.