Learn How Phototherapy Can Treat Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a medical condition that causes skin cells to build up itchy and dry scaly patches anywhere on the body. This build up is caused by the excessive growth of skin cells. There is no reason to worry if you start to develop psoriasis because the condition is easily treatable. One of the most popular and most effective ways to treat psoriasis is phototherapy. The most common ways to treat psoriasis with phototherapy are as follows:
- Sunlight
- Laser Treatments
- UVB Light
Sunlight treatment
One of the best ways to naturally treat psoriasis is to get ultraviolet B light from the sun. While the direct sunlight is a great way to eliminate your psoriasis, you must limit your exposure because it also contains ultraviolet A light. The UVA rays can penetrate deep into the skin to increase your risk of developing cancer in the future with too much exposure. Start your treatment with only five minutes of sunlight, and then gradually increase it up to 30 minutes in about a week. Since you have to take the treatment process slowly, it may take a month before you see any results.
Laser Treatments at Calabasas Dermatology Center
Laser phototherapy treatments are primarily used to treat more severe cases of psoriasis. Either an excimer laser or pulsed dye laser can be used in the medical dermatological treatment, but they both have similar results. Both lasers use high pulses of UVB light on the areas of the skin affected by psoriasis. A minimum of four laser treatments will be needed to remove the psoriasis, and serious cases may require up to 10 treatments. Excimer laser treatment is usually complete within a month. It may take several months to completely remove your psoriasis with pulsed dye laser treatments.
Ultraviolet B Light
There is a way to get the benefits of UVB light without having to expose yourself to the dangerous UVA rays of the sun. A UVB light source is used to treat your psoriasis. Since there is no UVA light present, your skin absorbs more UVB light than sitting out in the sun. Once the UVB rays sink into the skin, they start to slow down the skin cell growth process.
Now that you know your psoriasis can be easily treated, there is no reason to live with it anymore. Contact Calabasas Dermatology Center today to schedule your first psoriasis treatment appointment.