Steam Shower

A steam room is a high humidity chamber, usually found in health clubs and leisure facilities. The benefits of such rooms are theoretic at best, though commonly used to 'purge' skin pores of toxins, improve sinuses, and relax the user. Steam rooms are sometimes used in conjunction with a sauna, thereby permitting users to alternate between a dry and wet heat.

In addition to acting as a normal shower, a steam shower produces water vapour using a humidifying steam generator. These types of showers are becoming increasingly popular in many countries.

Steam showers are generally found in self-contained enclosures that prevent the water vapour from escaping into the main part of the bathroom, avoiding damage to drywall, paint, or wallpaper.

Most steam shower rooms are sold as stand-alone shower units with between 6 and 32 jets located above the head, along the back or behind the lower legs. Modern steam showers may provide additional features such as foot massagers, ceiling rain showers, television, radios, telephones, audio input from an MP3 or CD player, chromatherapy or aromatherapy.

Steam shower rooms are usually available in gyms and health spas around the world.

Steam showers have become a more common bathroom fixture in recent years, primarily due to technical innovations resulting in lower costs, along with an overall increase in the appearance of luxury spa products in the bathrooms of middle and high income families.

The water vapour produced by these shower units is often referred to in common speech as "steam," but this is a misnomer. In physical chemistry and in engineering, steam is a completely invisible gas and could result in serious burns if applied in the shower.