UVB Treatment at Home

When it comes to learning how to treat psoriasis at home, there are a range of options available, all of which vary in efficacy. Along with dietary supplements such as Vitamin D and a healthy balanced diet, those suffering from psoriasis may choose to try light therapy at home, which has a very high success rate amongst most psoriasis sufferers.

Some of the more “mainstream” home treatments for dealing with Psoriasis symptoms include;

• Diet & Nutrition

Eating a well-balanced diet is widely believed to help reduce flare ups of psoriasis symptoms. Although entirely anecdotal, and not to be taken as advice - eating healthily and avoiding foods that trigger your Psoriasis could help you stay in control of your condition. Keeping a psoriasis diary to help identify anything that triggers a flare up of their condition can also be a great way to keep on top of symptoms.

Symtrac Psoriasis  (sponsored by Novartis) is a free Psoriasis diary application that you can download from the Apple App Store or Google Play which will enable you to record details of your Psoriasis & quality of life. Although it does not have a specific section for food, (or triggers other than the ones that you know of), you could use the notes section in the app.

There is research that indicates a link between Obesity and an increased severity of the psoriatic condition, also indicating that dietary interventions can reduce the disease severity.

Alcohol, smoking and stress are well known triggers for psoriasis flares and can also exacerbate the condition.

Herbal Remedies are also often cited to offer improvements, however again this is based on anecdotal evidence.

As stressed above it is important to consult your doctor or dermatologist to establish whether these remedies could adversely affect your condition in any way.

• Mind and Body Therapies

Aromatherapy, mindfulness and meditation may also reduce stress, with many believing they have recognised therapeutic benefits on the condition, the length of the flare up or indeed decreasing the chance of a flare up.

• Spa Therapy

Again, some anecdotal evidence exists for the improvement of the psoriasis condition using salt water baths combined with Narrowband UVB light therapy, or alone. This treatment is intended to mimic the natural spa conditions found in the Dead Sea or Natural spas. Spa therapy is regarded as therapy that used to complement other established psoriasis therapies.

There is no “silver bullet” treatment for tackling the symptoms of Psoriasis.

• Try to establish what can trigger your condition to get worse and what works to improve it.
• Try not to despair as the stress will definitely make your condition worse.
• Try one of our units. Although we can’t guarantee that they will work for everyone, we know that we have a pretty high success rate.

As with any treatment regime for any condition there are side effects with light therapy.

If you do have concerns, we would strongly advise that you discuss these issues in depth with your doctor or dermatologist before commencing any light therapy.

As an independent introduction to the side effects and risks associated with Narrowband UVB light therapy, we would advise reviewing the British Association of Dermatologists’ Patient Information Leaflet on Phototherapy.

The common, short-term side effects of phototherapy include:

• Redness and discomfort (mild sunburn-like irritation).
• Dry and itchy skin.
• Folliculitis – inflammation of the hair roots may occur. This is usually mild, and it does not cause significant discomfort and usually require no treatment or interruption of the UV therapy.
• A sunlight-induced rash called polymorphic light eruption may develop whilst receiving ultraviolet light.
• Cold sores – if you are prone to these it is advisable to cover the area usually affected with sun block when having ultraviolet treatment.
• Blisters in areas of Psoriasis.
• Worsening of skin disease.

Potential long-term side effects of phototherapy include:

• Premature skin ageing.
• Skin cancer.

Risk of these long-term side effects is related to overall number of treatments and ultraviolet doses administered, and also to pre-existing risk factors for skin cancer in patients.

Although follow-up of patients treated with Narrowband UVB has not as yet detected a skin cancer risk, it is possible that with long enough follow up of those who have had many exposures, a risk will be identified and quantified.

However, there are no limits to the numbers of treatments patients may have over their lifetime.

Advice from the British Association of Dermatologists recommends that patients having more than 500 UVB treatments would require annual skin checks to look for skin cancer.

Setting this advice in the context of home Narrowband UVB light therapy, 500 treatments would equate to around 3 ½ years of continuous sessions every 2-3 days. Please note that in practice, for home Narrowband UVB light therapy, you would never self-administer sessions every 2-3 days continuously for more than a matter of months.  This practice follows the same treatment regime that you would experience in a hospital or care centre.

Practically, we recommend that patients follow the same regime recommended by most doctors and dermatologists;

• Exposure to the Narrowband UVB light 2-3 times per week for between 6 & 12 consecutive weeks.
• Ceasing treatment when the condition has been reduced to a tolerable level (for most people with 4-8 weeks).
• Only recommencing treatment when the condition returns.
• Consulting a doctor or dermatologist regularly (at least once a year) for advice on your condition and to check for skin cancer.

Light therapy, also commonly referred to as phototherapy, has proven medical benefits for those suffering from skin conditions such as psoriasis. In moderate to severe cases of psoriasis, light therapy has been shown to reduce inflammation, itchiness and the size of the affected area significantly.

Although light therapy cannot cure psoriasis, it has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms in 50-90% of sufferers. It is important to note however, that each person reacts differently to light therapy and some may show more significant results than others.

Whilst Narrowband UVB light therapy is a medically recognised method for treating psoriasis, it is not entirely risk free, and so there are some potential side effects users should be aware of. These include:

• Blisters
• Stinging or itching sensations on the skin
• Sunburn
• Increased risk of skin cancer developing

It is generally advised that caution is taken when undergoing light therapy. Although considered relatively safe, UV radiation can cause damage, and so lowering the dosage of UV if you experience any of the above side effects and discontinuing any use until you have spoken with a medical professional is recommended.