Effective Psoriasis Control: 3 Invaluable Benefits of Light Therapy

It’s National Psoriasis Awareness Month. But if you’re living with this skin condition, you probably don’t need a suggestion to be aware of it. The itching and rashes likely serve as near-constant reminders.

That said, things might get a little better in the summer. That’s because exposure to sunlight can improve psoriasis symptoms. Some of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light can fight inflammation and slow skin cell turnover. 

The trouble is that natural sunlight also increases your risk of skin cancer and accelerates aging. 

Light therapy gives you a way to get the benefits of UV rays without the notable drawbacks of extensive sunlight exposure. That’s why Kenneth Warrick, MD, FAAD, and our team at Atlantic Dermatology in Longs, South Carolina, offer this psoriasis treatment. 

With National Psoriasis Awareness Month upon us, it’s an excellent time to explore this option for controlling your psoriasis. 

The benefits of light therapy for psoriasis

Light therapy works to improve psoriasis in a few beneficial ways:

It slows skin cell turnover

One of the hallmarks of psoriasis is fast skin cell growth. With psoriasis, this process is often accelerated as much as 10 times compared to normal skin cell growth. 

The scaliness that comes from psoriasis can be attributed to this rapid cell multiplication. With your cells growing so quickly, your body can’t shed dead cells fast enough. The buildup contributes to the scaliness and otherwise uneven skin texture. 

It can reduce inflammation

When your skin cells grow more slowly, it minimizes the inflammatory response that comes with psoriasis. With less inflammation, you should experience less swelling, redness, and itching. 

It’s customizable

Light therapy comes in many forms. Your options include:

• Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB)
• Broadband UVB (BB-UVB)
• An excimer laser that applies targeted UVB light
• Psoralen and UVA

Psoralen is a medication that increases your skin’s sensitivity to the UVA light. With some treatments, you take it in pill form. Other times, you soak in a psoralen bath before UVA treatment. 

With so many different ways to apply light therapy, Dr. Warrick can evaluate your skin and decide which to recommend for you. 

Finding out if light therapy is right for your skin

If you’ve noticed your psoriasis symptoms tend to improve after you spend time in the sun, you’re probably a good candidate for this kind of treatment. 

Dr. Warrick can examine your skin and talk with you about your symptoms and triggers. This allows him to tailor a treatment plan to help you get better control over your psoriasis. That usually includes lifestyle adjustments paired with targeted treatments like light therapy.

To use National Psoriasis Awareness Month to your advantage, schedule an appointment with Dr. Warrick and our team. Call our office or use our online feature to book your visit today.