ABSTRACT
UVB (ultraviolet B light) is the most common form of phototherapy used to treat various skin diseases, including psoriasis, eczema, and itching. You will be exposed to this high-energy UV light for a varying length of time. This treatment is NOT A CURE, but can effectively control or improve your disease. Patients have used this treatment successfully for many years and often are able to maintain clearance of improved skin over extended periods of time. Each condition and patient will vary in the number of treatments needed per week and the time it will take to reach clearing. Most patients initially require 3 to 5 treatments each week to clear their lesions. Typically, treatments start with only a few seconds of light exposure and increase gradually as determined by the staff. It may take 15-25 treatments or longer to improve your disease. Not all patients will clear completely. Many patients go into remission and may then stop treatments. The expected benefits of phototherapy are:
(1) Improvement of existing lesions; (2) Reduction of new lesions; (3) Remission-in many cases phototherapy has resulted in a near-total clearing of the disease process. The duration of this remission
varies with each patient. Maintenance therapy may be required.
