Psoriasis Sunshine Light Treatment
Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that affects primarily people of Caucasian descent. The National Institutes of Health report that as many as 2.6 percent of the American population are living with psoriasis and its effects. While there is no known cure for psoriasis, light therapy is often prescribed to help treat the disease.
-
Identification
-
Psoriasis results when the skin's cells grow too rapidly. This is caused when false signals are sent by the immune system. The body cannot shed excess skin quickly enough and, therefore, excess cells pile atop one another in the affected areas.
Types
-
Treatment for psoriasis can be obtained either through exposure to direct sunlight or through indoor, phototherapy treatments, in which a patient is exposed to UVB rays via a phototherapy unit in a doctor's office or at home.
-
The Facts
-
UVB rays work better than UVA rays at treating psoriasis. The easiest way to get exposure to UVB rays is by sitting out in the sun, but phototherapy treatment also uses UVB rays.
Function
-
Sunscreen is applied to exposed areas of the body not affected by psoriasis. Treatment begins by sitting outside, in direct sunlight, for five to 10 minutes per session. The sunlight kills the activated T cells and, as a result, slows the turnover rate of the skin's cells. It also reduces inflammation of the affected areas. Results should begin to show in hree to four weeks of daily treatments. Exposure can be gradually lengthened if needed. The best results are obtained by sitting under the sun at noon, when the sun's rays are strongest.
Warnings
-
Limit the length of your sessions and be especially careful when using topical psoriasis treatments such as astazarotene, protopic, alidel or coal tar, in conjunction with sunlight therapy as they increase the risk of sunburn.
-
