5 Types Of Light Treatment For Psoriasis

Light treatment for psoriasis is very effective in treating moderate to severe cases of the disease that don’t respond to drug therapy.  Light has the ability to slow down the overproduction of skin cells which happens with psoriasis.  It is not a permanent cure for psoriasis but light treatment has been proven to provide lasting relief that can extend for years.  The key to getting the best outcome with psoriasis light treatment is consistency and compliance.  Patients must receive the right amount of treatment in the prescribed amount of time to get the best possible result.

Listed below are the five different types of light treatment for psoriasis and how they work.

  1. Sunlight.  Sunlight is by far the least expensive and the most convenient psoriasis light treatment.  It’s free and you can do it on yourself.  However, most psoriasis patients make the mistake of exposing themselves to too much or too little sunlight.  Too much sunlight can burn your skin and make your psoriasis worse.  Expose yourself to too little sunlight and you won’t see any result.  Before trying sunlight psoriasis therapy make sure to ask your doctor how much sunlight you need and for how long.  The amount of sunlight you need and the length of exposure varies with the severity and type of psoriasis.  Most doctors recommend short, multiple exposures of noontime sunlight, 5 to 10 minutes per exposure.  Patients undergoing sunlight therapy also need to regularly consult with their doctor to check their skin for sun damage.
  2. Ultraviolet Light B Phototherapy.  Narrow band UVB has been proven to clear psoriasis faster and produce longer emissions.  The efficacy of UVB psoriasis light treatment improves when combined with topical or systemic psoriasis treatments.  Ideally, UVB treatment should be done in a doctor’s office but there are UVB lamps that can be used for home treatment. 
  3. Psoralen and ultraviolet light A (PUVA) therapy.  Psoralen is a drug that makes the skin more sensitive to the effects of ultraviolet light A.  PUVA therapy works by slowing down the production of skin cells.  It has been proven to be very effective for psoriasis of the hands and feet, plaque psoriasis, and guttate psoriasis.
  4. Excimer Laser Therapy.  Excimer laser therapy is a type of psoriasis laser treatment that uses high intensity ultraviolet light B.  The good thing about this type of laser treatment for psoriasis is you can specifically target affected areas which make their effect more potent.
  5. Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy.   Pulsed dry laser treatment for psoriasis works differently compared to most psoriasis treatments.  It alleviates the symptoms of psoriasis by destroying the small blood vessels underneath the plaques.  This reduces inflammation and should slow down skin cell production.

Psoriasis light treatments are often considered as a last resort mainly because these treatments have significant side effects.  All of these treatments can produce skin burns, bruising, pain, scarring and inflammation.  The drugs that accompany these treatments can also produce side effects like nausea, vomiting, and increased photosensitivity.  So make sure to consult with your doctor before trying light treatment for psoriasis or any psoriasis treatment.  Your doctor will help draw out a treatment plan that will suit your case while providing the best results.

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