Puva Light Treatment For Psoriasis

The light slows down the production of skin cells and is an effective treatment for some types of psoriasis that have not responded to topical treatments.

Puva light treatment for psoriasis.

Light therapy is a first line treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis either alone or in combination with medications. Light therapy is effective for reducing or clearing up the symptoms of psoriasis. It involves exposing the skin to controlled amounts of natural or artificial light. This process called puva slows down excessive skin cell growth and can clear psoriasis symptoms for varying periods of time.

An estimated 75 percent of people using narrow band ultraviolet b uvb therapy which is the most common type. 686 the psoralen is applied or taken orally to sensitize the skin then the skin is exposed to uva. Puva requires patient compliance with consistent treatments for 9 15 weeks to achieve maximal results. Repeated treatments are necessary.

Psoralen uva puva ultraviolet light a uva is relatively ineffective for psoriasis unless it s used with light sensitizing agents called psoralens. But it takes about 16 to 19 puva treatments to put a psoriasis outbreak into remission. In this combination therapy the psoralen taken internally acts as a skin sensitizer. Puva may also be a viable option for patients who have failed uvb therapy.

Topical puva is the preferred treatment method for palmoplantar psoriasis although bb uvb has been proven effective. The sensitized skin affected by psoriasis can then be treated by ultraviolet a radiation. Each session only takes a few minutes but you may need to go to hospital 2 or 3 times a week for 6 to 8 weeks. Puva psoralen and ultraviolet a is an ultraviolet light therapy treatment for skin diseases.

Puva is a tried and true phototherapy treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis. Puva psoralen and ultraviolet a radiation treatment has been used for decades to treat severe psoriasis. Targeted uvb therapy with excimer lasers is the preferred treatment method for. Talk with your doctor about whether home phototherapy is an option for you.

Because of that it s typically only recommended for severe cases. But using it for a long time can raise your chances of skin cancer. Therein lies the risk.