Last Updated on 5 years by Sophie

Phototherapy for Skin Treatment

Phototherapy facilitate the use of light in the treatment of certain type of skin disease.

The concept of using light is very old practice, it has been noted that psoriasis often improves with exposure to the sun.

sun light consist of visible light, ultraviolet A & B (UVA & UVB) light. Phototherapy reproduces sun light and manage to control how it is used.

Several types of phototherapy are available: narrow band UVB (NBUVB), UVA / NBUVB and PUVA (psoralen + UVA) are the common types used. Your doctor will advice you on the type of light suitable for your skin problem and condition. Phototherapy has been effective in treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo and atopic dermatitis.

How Phototherapy Works?

Phototherapy works on suppressing skin inflammation and restoring skin immune system by reducing hyperproliferation of skin cells.

How Phototherapy Applied?

A bath is recommended before phototherapy to hydrate the skin. Emollients should be applied to the targeted skin before the treatment starts. Treatment can be applied only for three times per weak, each treatment may consist of multiple sessions if necessary.

Once skin lesions has been cleared, periodic treatment may be required to maintain skin clearance.

Side Effects of Phototherapy.

Common side effect is skin dryness and itch which can be reduced and controlled by applying moisturiser. Very rarely skin color might become tan similar to sunburn, if phototherapy has been used for long time.
Skin cancer is a major side effects for using phototherapy for long time (for years), specially when PUVA treatment is used. Another major side effect is skin aging, while skin cancer can be removed at early stages , skin aging has no solution.

What is  PUVA?

PUVA is an effective phototherapy treatment using both UVA and photosensitising agent (Psoralen) which enhances the effect of UVA light. The posoralen has to be applied through mouth before treatment session starts. This require avoiding sun light for 24 hours after Posralen is taken.

What is narrow Band UVB Phototherapy?

This is saver than conventional UVB in treating psoriasis and it has become the preferred method for using phototherapy in skin treatment because it does not require the use of psoralen as in PUVB.

What is UVA-1 Phototherapy?

This is fairly new technology in treating targeted area of skin, and it has been used for treating eczema and psoriasis affecting hands, palms, feet and sole. UVA-1 has been effective also in treating morphosea and lichen sclerosus. The only side effect of using UVA-1 is darkening the area of skin that is targeted.

What is Targeted Photottherapy?

Specific area of the skin is targeted without exposing the whole body to UV light. Excimer laser and Multiclear is an example, which is targeting only the area need treatment and this has been effective in treating vitiligo, psoriasis and eczema.

What is Photodynamic Theraby?

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is effective in treating pre-cancerious lesions such as actinic keratosis and Bowen’s disease, and skin cancer such as the superficial form of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This treatment involves the application of a photosensitising cream (merthyl aminolevullinate) with subsequent illumination of red light from a special light device onto the lesion.
The only side effect of this treatment method is pain, repeated treatment should be performed a week later. ?