A modern sauna usually takes about 30 minutes to heat up. Some users prefer taking a warm shower beforehand to speed up perspiration in the sauna. When in the sauna users often sit on a towel for hygiene and put a towel over the head if the face feels too hot but the body feels comfortable. In Russia, a felt “banya hat” may be worn to shield the head from the heat; this allows the wearer to increase the heat on the rest of the body. Most adjustment to temperature in a sauna comes from:

amount of water thrown on the heater; this increases humidity, so that sauna bathers perspire more copiously
length of stay in the sauna
positioning when in the sauna