Why go to the hammam? Benefits and contraindications

Every nation has a tradition that is happily supported in other countries. This happened with the hammam, which came to us from the East and almost immediately gained popularity. What is the difference between a Turkish hammam and a traditional Russian bath? And what should you know when going to a Turkish bath?

Warmth emanating from all sides, natural stone, often mosaics in a traditional oriental style - an environment ideal for relaxation. Due to the comfortable warmth and soft steam, breathing in the hammam is extremely easy; the pleasant microclimate of the Turkish bath is ideal for those who do not enjoy the heat.

A little history

The structure of a traditional hammam
Although exact information about the origin of the hammam has not been preserved, it is believed that such procedures first appeared in the Byzantine Empire. The peoples of the East who communicated with the Byzantines adopted this tradition. However, the use of hot steam in combination with dousing with cold water came a little later. It was believed that visiting the hammam affects the body and mind, female attractiveness and male strength.

The specific architectural style of the hammam was formed by the 12th-13th centuries. Like the Roman baths once upon a time, the hammam became the center of public life. Today there are hammams in almost every town in Turkey; in Europe, Turkish baths began to appear in the 19th century.

Enjoy Your Bath!

Lying on a heated stone, it is easy to forget about chronic fatigue and everyday problems. No need here:

Give in to the heat;
Torture the body with a broom;
Cool off periodically in the pool.

A visit to the steam room comes down to one goal - to sit on a towel and sweat heavily. After 10 minutes, sweat flows in streams, and because of the veil of thick steam, it is impossible to distinguish objects half a meter away. After a quarter of an hour, the relaxed body is ready for bath procedures.

A professional massage and a cloud of soap foam will help you feel bliss. First, the dexterous hands of the bathhouse attendant knead each joint until it crunches. Not only the arms are used, but also the legs. Classic Turkish massage involves kneading the prone body with the soles of your feet. After the execution, rest is required. Then the bath master puts on a kise mitten woven from horsehair or hard fibers and literally removes the skin in layers.

The bathhouse attendant dilutes olive soap in a mesh bag and squeezes a mountain of snow foam onto the body. Gently rubs the skin and at the last moment pours ice water over it. Instead of a soap massage, you can choose a classic or lymphatic drainage massage. After the procedures, the body becomes weightless. The feeling of lightness and pleasant sensations are worth subjecting it to “torture”.

What is special about hamam?

There are neither the usual brooms nor a stove, without which not a single Russian-style bathhouse is complete. The steam generated in a special boiler is evenly distributed throughout the room; the high dome-shaped ceiling does not accumulate condensate; it flows down the rounded walls directly into the drainage system. How do the conditions in a hammam differ from the saunas we know or, for example, a Finnish bath? So.

Temperature . On average, the air warms up to 30-50°C, this temperature regime is more comfortable for a person, moreover, the procedure in such conditions becomes possible for people who either do not tolerate heat well or are undesirable for health reasons. For example, heating in a sauna can reach 100°C or higher; staying at this temperature is contraindicated for patients with various diseases.
Humidity – reaching 90-100%, it is the highest among those practiced in various types of baths and saunas. At the same time, the body does not experience stress, and there is no risk of drying out the skin and hair. Unlike a Turkish bath, the humidity in a Finnish bath reaches 10-20%.

Warm and maximally humidified air is the secret of a Turkish bath; thanks to the ideal combination of temperature and humidity, a special microclimate is created that has a beneficial effect on health.

Features of the Turkish steam room

Hamam differs from Russian and Finnish baths in that all rooms in it are heated using a boiler placed under the floor covering or built into one of the walls. The steam generated in it is supplied through several small holes, which are located at a height of approximately 1.5 meters.

The interior of a modern oriental bathhouse is always made almost entirely of stone, mosaic or tile. Wood is not even used to decorate sun loungers. The ceiling of the steam room has a dome shape. This is done so that condensation does not drip from it and does not disturb visitors, but flows down the walls.

Lose weight with pleasure!

The pace of life, snacks on the go, often not the best quality food, lack of time for sports - and now extra pounds have appeared. Heading to the gym? But intense physical activity, as a rule, does not evoke enthusiasm after a hard day at work. Try the hammam!

It turns out that you can lose a couple of kilograms in one session. During the procedure, metabolism accelerates and fat deposits are broken down. Temperature contrast, intensive soaping and massage also have an anti-cellulite effect.

How to go to the hammam correctly to get rid of extra pounds? Of course, to get the maximum effect, visiting the Turkish bath should be regular and combined with other methods, for example, with the same balanced diet or walking. Otherwise, the lost kilograms will return again.

Sign up for the online course “Basics of nutrition for health and weight loss”

By the way, a good mood after the procedure is not an accident, since staying in the hammam increases the level of hormones responsible for the psycho-emotional state. In addition, the endorphins produced have an antidepressant effect. Agree, such weight loss for a person who is not a sports fan is much more attractive than intense training in the gym.

Harm

Visiting the Turkish sauna should be done with caution; doctors recommend refraining from visiting it during pregnancy and if you have a number of diseases. Among them:

Damage to the respiratory system in the acute stage;
Severe pathologies of the heart and blood vessels;
Severe infections;
Nervous disorders.

Even a healthy person who has no restrictions on visiting the hammam should be attentive and monitor his well-being, and not lean against hot things.

For many centuries, hammam has been a favorite pastime for eastern residents. But in the last few decades, the Turkish bath has become popular in Russia, thanks to its low, gentle air temperature and pleasant procedures. But many people still look at the oriental steam room with apprehension: what exactly are the health benefits and harms of a Turkish bath? Who should not visit it, and how should a vacation actually take place there? We will be happy to answer you!

Benefit for health

It turns out that hammam is an affordable way to improve your health. Under the influence of hot steam, the heart rate increases, blood vessels dilate, blood circulation increases, which more intensively delivers much-needed oxygen to tissues, including to the periphery.

When immersed in a pool or Jacuzzi with cooler water at the final stage, due to the temperature contrast, a kind of training of thermal adaptation mechanisms in the body occurs, and blood pressure normalizes. Regular visits to the hammam improve the ability to adapt to any weather conditions; in the future, the human body can easily cope with overheating or hypothermia.

In addition, when skin receptors are irritated, the nervous system is stimulated. A visit to the hammam is ideal for relaxation, apathy and irritability disappear, the quality of sleep improves, headaches and feelings of fatigue go away.

What to do if colds have become the norm in your life? A sharp change in temperature triggers the body's defenses, and a person is able to resist colds. Moreover, under the influence of temperature and humidity, the blood supply to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract increases, a bronchodilator effect is noted, sputum discharge and gas exchange improve. The breathing rate may increase, which affects the volume of the lungs, and their ventilation improves.

Is it possible to go to the hammam if you have a cold, because one of the contraindications to the procedure is the acute form of any disease. Discomfort and sore throat become less pronounced, hot and humid air reduces swelling of the mucous membrane. However, if the temperature rises and the condition worsens, it is better to postpone visiting the bathhouse.

Is it a Turkish bath?...

Quite a serious question. The fact is that today in Russia the bath business is, of course, developed, but to what extent? As it turns out, those who have personally visited a real Turkish bath say that local hammams resemble it only in appearance - but not in sensation. Absolutely wrong humidity, temperature and special means. And not the same effect at all.

Is it worth saying then how dangerous the impact of such a “hamam” on health can be? After all, the Turks have been developing their bath tradition for centuries, selecting the optimal temperature and humidity conditions down to the degree, and carefully observing the necessary sequence of all procedures. And therefore all this had a positive effect on health. And a failure in any technology leads to other consequences.

Moreover, modern hammams in Russia offer three modes of procedures at once: something like a sauna with dry and hot air, a supposedly Russian bath with steam and an air temperature of up to 100°C, and a “Turkish” one, with heat up to 60°C and humidity up to 100%, which is also wrong. But all this is proudly called “hammam”.

And finally, today an innovation such as “hamam-plus” is becoming popular. This is the same Turkish bath with marble on the walls, but in which a special cable is used to warm the walls, beds and floor, providing up to 70°C instead of the required 45°C, and dry “Russian” steam.

It’s like combining two in one: both and a Russian bathhouse. But such an invention is far from a real Turkish steam room, and staying in it can really undermine your health. But an inexperienced person will be sure that he ended up in a hammam!

So let's take a closer look at what a real Turkish bath actually is and what to expect from it.

Improved appearance is another plus of the procedure

Photo of the Red Lake Detox Clinic
Warmth, humidity, and temperature contrast improve the trophism of the skin, affect microcirculation, and stimulate its protective, metabolic, and regenerative functions. Under the influence of heat, the pores on the skin expand; during procedures (cleansing and peeling), the skin is cleansed, moisturized and tightened, the functioning of the sebaceous glands is normalized, and acne disappears. Improving metabolic processes promotes rejuvenation, the skin becomes soft and elastic.

By the way, unlike other types of baths, in the hammam the hair is not at risk of drying out, which is important if it is brittle and dry. Moreover, soft steam normalizes blood circulation in the scalp, stimulating hair growth and improving its appearance.

Treatments for rejuvenation

It’s just the right time to apply nourishing products to pristinely clean skin, instantly penetrating through open pores into the deep layers of the dermis. It is not forbidden to carry out:

Massage with coconut oil;
Rub in the honey-vitamin mixture;
Wrap with Moroccan clay, chocolate, seaweed.

Select procedures from the list or limit yourself to applying peach, grape seed, or olive oil.

Treatments in the hammam are not only pleasant, but also useful for rejuvenation and health promotion.

Decay products and salts are removed from the open pores along with moisture.
Tissues and blood are saturated with oxygen.
Cell division and blood flow increase.
The keratinized cells of the epidermis are removed.
The skin texture is evened out.

What are the benefits of hammam for sports lovers?

People who are actively involved in sports have often experienced discomfort after training associated with excessive stress. To alleviate the condition, you can go to a Turkish bath. In combination with a massage, you can warm up and stretch your muscles, relieving pain. In addition, overstrained muscle tissue interferes with normal blood circulation, which leads to insufficient oxygen supply. Under the influence of heat, all processes are activated, tissues become more elastic, painful sensations recede.

In addition, you can go to the hammam with diseases of the musculoskeletal system; the microclimate has a beneficial effect on tissue trophism, activating restoration processes in bone and muscle tissue, and the condition of spasms and contractures improves.

Oriental sauna for weight loss

Nutritionists say that the steam room is one of the best remedies against cellulite and fat deposits. Hot air accelerates lymph flow and blood, which helps fight subcutaneous deposits. The optimal effect is achieved by combining diet and spa treatments - anti-cellulite massage, mud or algae wraps. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

To improve oxygen supply and penetration of nutritional components, steamed skin is cleansed with peeling. The following abrasives are used: salt, coffee or a special product with fruit acids.
The body is rubbed with handmade soap with anti-cellulite components - essential oils, Dead Sea minerals, olive oil and peeling is performed.
The active substance is distributed onto the thighs, buttocks, and thighs. The body is then wrapped in film .

Hygiene procedure? Relaxation? Pleasure!

And although hammams have not survived to this day in their original form, there are Turkish baths created taking into account ancient traditions. But in order to get maximum pleasure and benefit, you should follow a clear sequence of actions when visiting. Staying in the hammam is a whole ritual, consisting of five procedures in a certain sequence: warming up the body, massage, peeling, soaping and pouring, relaxation.

To prepare for the procedures, there is a special room - jamekian - where the visitor leaves his clothes and shoes, dressed in a sarong or a sheet.
Pestemal is a room where a person takes a warm shower for 15 minutes (approximately), which is necessary to cleanse the skin and prepare for further procedures.
Chebek – here the body is prepared; for this purpose there is a special bed made of natural marble, on which the visitor sits.
Hararet is a spacious marble room with a round shape, designed for deep cleansing of the skin. First, a steaming procedure is carried out, during which the pores of the skin open, followed by intensive soaping and rubbing using a goat hair washcloth - at this time, high-quality peeling of the skin occurs. When rinsing, warm and cool water are used alternately. The final stage is a soap massage.
To recuperate after exposure to high temperatures, the visitor moves to the next room, where the temperature is lower than in other rooms. There are showers here, where you can lie down and enjoy aromatic tea.
Finally, you should visit the steam room again, where an oriental master will give you a massage.
After the session, you can swim in pools with water of different temperatures; in the classic version of the bath there are three pools: with a temperature of 45°C, similar to body temperature, room temperature.

After passing through all the rooms, the body, according to legend, is cleansed. Unfortunately, traditional baths are being built less and less often, since it is not always possible to find a place of suitable size. Therefore, in modern hammams there are often only three rooms intended for preparing, steaming and cooling the body.

How to visit the hammam correctly

Before coming to the hammam, read the small list of contraindications. It is not recommended to visit Turkish baths if:

· epilepsy;

· arterial hypertension and heart disease;

· infectious or fungal skin lesions;

· women in the first trimester of pregnancy;

· at elevated body temperature.

If everything is in order with your health, we offer you a diagram of the procedures and the order of their implementation. Before going to the hammam, do not drink alcohol or overeat.

1. After the administration hall, you go to the locker room, where you change into a swimsuit and go into the steam room.

2. In the steam room you should lie down or sit comfortably and relax. The optimal stay time is 15−30 minutes.

3. After the steam room, peeling and soapy massage awaits you on a warm marble table. This is an amazing, incomparable feeling when you are literally enveloped in soap foam mixed with natural oils. After such a massage, the body becomes strong and sensitive, and the skin seems to become younger before our eyes.

In our country, over the past few years, the Turkish hammam (or sauna) has gained no less popularity than the classic Russian bath. A visit to the national oriental baths not only promotes relaxation and complete rest of body and soul, but is also extremely beneficial for human health.

How to go to the hammam

There are several rules that must be followed when visiting a Turkish bath.

Before the procedure, avoid alcohol, fatty and fried foods; This way you can avoid unnecessary stress on the body.
A sarong or a sheet made of natural fabrics is intended for the procedures
Before you lie down on the massage bench, you need to lay a towel.
There are separate rooms or hours for ablutions for men and women.

What should you take with you when going to the hammam? All you need are bath shoes, two towels - for the body and to cover the bench, and a sarong. However, all this can be obtained in the bathhouse.

How often can you go to the hammam? And if every day, won’t the load on the body be unnecessary? A person should be guided by his feelings and state of health. To maintain tone, visits can be weekly. For colds, frequent stressful situations, insomnia, etc. the procedure can be performed more often. If you play sports, then it is right to go to the hammam after training in a fitness club or gym. In this case, you should wait until your pulse, breathing and blood pressure return to normal.

And if you go to the hammam often, how much time can you spend there without harming your health? If staying in a room with high temperature and humidity does not cause discomfort, then bath procedures should be given at least one and a half hours. However, visiting a hammam in the East has always been considered a source of pleasure, going beyond the scope of a hygienic procedure. For example, eastern women could spend the whole day there, and most of the time was devoted to communication and tea drinking.

How often can you visit the hammam?

Exotic Turkish baths bring rest and relaxation to the soul and body. They have a relatively low temperature (up to 50 degrees), and humidity can reach 100%. This temperature regime perfectly relaxes, helps the skin to rejuvenate, blood circulation to work better, thoughts to disconnect from everything on the marble table in the center of the room.

Heated marble is good for relieving aches and fatigue in joints. I want to go to such a piece of paradise every day, but is it possible?

Eastern women visit the hammam at least once a week. We recommend starting your acquaintance with this amazing place from one day a week. After a while, you can increase it up to two times, maximum three times a week. It’s no longer worth it, as the body gets used to it, the visit becomes no longer so useful.

Contraindications

As with any healing method, there are a number of contraindications for visiting a bathhouse that must be taken into account when choosing a healing method. Hama is contraindicated if there is:

increased temperature, high or low blood pressure;
exacerbation of a chronic disease;
presence of cancer;
mental disorders, epilepsy;
infectious and fungal diseases;
severe diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary systems;
bleeding and open wounds.

The session is also contraindicated on an empty stomach or immediately after eating. As for pregnancy, you can go to the hammam starting from the second trimester. However, at any time it is better to refuse to stay in the steam room. In addition, women often have a question: is it possible to go to the hammam during menstruation? In this case, you should postpone visiting the bathhouse, since staying in the steam room can provoke increased bleeding, and pressure changes are also possible.

Harm from visiting a Turkish bath

So, what in the hammam can have a negative effect on the body? It's all about the air temperature, 45°C, which is not low, and the highest air humidity - 100%. These two factors have their own pros and cons for your health.

Hot air is bad because it can lead to overheating of the human body. Moreover, heat coming from outside is less useful than internal heat:

The bad thing in itself is that the limbs get quite hot at a temperature of 45°C. But the most unsafe thing for any person is a fever in the head. That is why, at the slightest non-compliance with all the rules of steaming in baths, after the procedures many people begin to have a severe headache.

And that’s why in the Russian steam room it is customary to wear hats, and in the Eastern ones - a turban made of a towel, which many today neglect for the sake of a “beautiful appearance.”

The second point is excessively humid air. It is bad for the body because it further contributes to overheating. So, if a person has at least some problems with the cardiovascular system, a dangerous exacerbation will occur even at 85% air humidity.

But in fact, everything is dangerous only for an unhealthy body, with a weak heart and other problems. That is why there is such a thing as a contraindication.

Where can I find a hammam?

Today you don’t have to go to Turkey to go to the hammam; fitness clubs, spas, health centers, and sanatoriums offer this service. Of course, the choice of materials and approach to the construction of premises is much simplified, although the interior decoration is still done in an oriental style. However, the fullness of sensations, as a rule, remains high.

Moreover, today a small-sized Turkish bath can be equipped in a house or even an apartment; it is enough to purchase a steam box equipped with a steam generator, which is controlled by an electronic control system. Despite the simplified design, steam, as a rule, is produced of high quality, while energy costs are well within the limits of household electrical wiring.

However, for connoisseurs of Turkish baths, the hammam is not just a place for hygiene procedures. This is a wonderful opportunity to relax, relax and meet friends. Therefore, when going to the hammam, choose a time that you can fully devote to pleasure without compromising unfinished business. It is impossible to get the maximum benefit for the body or pleasure if your stay in the hammam is accompanied by a rush. In the end, you can just wash yourself at home, but that’s not the main thing for us!

Oksana Matiash, general practitioner

Who is contraindicated from visiting the hammam?

So, despite the fact that the Turkish bath is the easiest for the body to tolerate, it also has its contraindications. It's all about the heat and high, almost 100% humidity.

To whom this regime (or one of its components) is harmful, you should not visit the Turkish bath:

Pregnant women. There is already direct evidence that heat (like any other unnatural conditions) has a bad effect on the fetus. And although some brave expectant mothers take such a warning lightly, this does not mean that everything will work out in other cases. As experienced doctors like to say, for a healthy and strong body, stress is like a runny nose, but if a chronic disease is lurking somewhere, then the consequences will be unpleasant.
Severe lung diseases. The fact is that air with high humidity itself is already difficult to inhale, especially if the vapor is not of the best dispersion. And if the lungs work at half strength, the person in the hammam may even begin to choke.
High temperature and viral diseases. Of course, the warmth of any bath can heal a cold and even incipient bronchitis, but if you have a fever and feel unwell, you cannot subject your body to additional stress.
Any fungal diseases. This nasty thing multiplies quickly in a warm and humid microclimate. And leaving infectious fungal spores after visiting a public hammam is not an act you can be proud of.
Weak heart or any other cardiovascular problems. The fact is that heat is always a big strain on the heart; it is not without reason that the lion’s share of heart attacks occur in the July months. Therefore, do not take risks if you have concerns about your own health: unfortunately, today it is not uncommon for a visitor to be carried out feet first after a good steam.
Naturally, the hammam with its warmth and massage procedures is contraindicated for cancer patients. Why such injustice? The fact is that the faster the blood circulates through the veins of such a person (and there is an effect from heat and massage), the faster microtoxins and small particles of tumors are spread throughout the body, which create new problems.
Mental disorders. If you or your companion have diseases such as neurosis, psychosis or simply an unbalanced psyche, it is better not to go to a Turkish bath (or any other) for now. Otherwise, your vacation will be hopelessly ruined. Why? Scientists have long proven that heat increases aggression, and people with problematic mental health are especially sensitive to changes in microclimate.
Skin diseases. Just as any wound hurts from heat and steam, so any skin disease does not like this regime. Therefore, you should not aggravate the disease.
Any acute inflammatory processes. And with chronic diseases, it is better to consult a doctor in advance.

But, if you don’t suffer from anything like that, then some kind Turkish wishes to you!