Phototherapy for Effective Treatment of Psoriasis and Other Skin Diseases
The National Psoriasis Foundation describes psoriasis as “an autoimmune disease that causes raised, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. It typically affects the outside of the elbows, knees or scalp, though it can appear on any location. Some people report that psoriasis is itchy, burns and stings. Psoriasis is associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.”
As salon owners, you may have encountered customers who are using your tanning beds and booths to relieve symptoms of psoriasis. Often, they have been referred to a salon for UV sessions by their doctor or a medical professional.
In fact, it was during research experiments in the 1970s, when UV-light was being tested as a possible treatment for psoriasis, that it was discovered how, in addition to helping to treat the disease, the UV-light sessions also produced a cosmetic tan.
Today, UVBioTek, a company based in upstate New York (which also manufactures commercial and home tanning booths), is spearheading the development and commercial application of UV-B-based systems for treating psoriasis and other skin diseases.
When the story about the company came to my attention, I thought IST readers would be interested to know how UV-light sessions are used to treat such conditions.
To learn more about their systems, I interviewed UVBioTek CEO, Dan Gorney, along with Joseph Iaia, Clinical Account Manager and Maggie Morgan, Digital Content & Social Media Manager. I wanted to know how phototherapy works and the similarities and differences between the typical UV tanning bed and the UVB medical device.
[gap height=”20″]IST: What skin disorders are your systems designed to treat?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: UV is effective in treating psoriasis and eczema, which cause red, scaly and often painful patches, as well as vitiligo. Vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go) is a disorder that causes loss of skin color in blotches on any part of the body. This happens because the melanocytes – cells that make pigment (color) in the skin – are non-functioning. Michael Jackson suffered from vitiligo, although many people thought he was just trying to lighten the color of his skin.
[gap height=”20″]IST: How does phototherapy (UV-B light exposure) alleviate the symptoms and treat these conditions?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: The narrowband UVB wavelength (311 nanometers), has been proven to help relieve the pain and discomfort of psoriasis and eczema. UVB, which is present in natural sunlight, is an effective treatment as it penetrates the skin and slows the growth of affected skin cells. Our devices use fluorescent lights that are of the same shape and dimensions as the lamps used in typical low-pressure tanning beds and booths.
Phototherapy is also one of the most common and successful vitiligo treatments, resulting in repigmentation of the pale skin patches by stimulating neighboring pigmentation cells (melanocytes) into producing skin color again.
IST: Will these devices also tan the skin?
Dan: No. The systems emit only narrowband UVB, and the session time is very limited. Without the presence of UVA to oxidize the melanin, tanning of the skin does not occur.
[gap height=”20″]IST: How often must a person use the system?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: The UV output of our devices is much more powerful than that of a tanning bed. Initial exposure times are limited to just ten seconds and are gradually increased up to 1-4 minutes as the skin becomes conditioned to the treatment. The exposure time depends on the patient’s skin type and the skin’s response to the lamp intensity.
When treatments begin, the patient uses the system 2-3 times per week. Once the desired results are achieved, 1-2 sessions per week are required to maintain the results.
[gap height=”20″]IST: You offer both commercial units, which must be used with professional medical supervision in a doctor’s office or clinic, and home units. What is required to purchase a home unit?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: The patient must have a prescription from a licensed physician to order a system for home use. This is thoroughly checked and documented prior to shipment of the unit.
[gap height=”20″]IST: How much do the units cost?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: Our 10-lamp unit sells for $2,995. The multi-directional unit is $3,500 and the full-body, 16-lamp booth is $4,500.
[gap height=”20″]IST: Does insurance cover the cost of your systems?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: Depending on the type of policy, up to 50% of the cost may be covered.
[gap height=”20″]IST: How does your treatment system compare to the many drugs that are now being advertised for treating these
skin diseases?[gap height=”20″]
Dan: UVB is present in natural sunlight, and we believe it is a much more effective treatment and one with limited side effects. Our success rate is 85%.The drugs being marketed today, while they may be effective for some people, list a myriad of harmful side effects. The patient ultimately must choose which is best for them. However, we prefer natural remedies over drugs.[gap height=”20″]
For more information, please visit uvbiotek.com.[gap]
NOTE: This article is provided for informative purposes only. The information is not to be used to promote indoor tanning devices as a treatment for psoriasis or any medical condition.
