Overview
Phototherapy uses ultraviolet (UV) light under medical supervision to treat certain skin diseases. Depending on the skin disorder being treated, phototherapy is delivered for several seconds to minutes per session, usually 2–3 times per week. Phototherapy is predominantly an office-based procedure, but home treatment regimens with portable light boxes can also be prescribed to carefully selected patients. Phototherapy can be used alone or in combination with topical or systemic medications, depending on the indications. Common types of UV light treatment include:
- Broadband UVB light therapy (280–320 nanometer wavelengths)
- Narrow band UVB light treatments (311 nanometer wavelength only)
- UVA light therapy (320–400 nanometer wavelengths of light)
- PUVA (320–400 nanometer wavelengths of light). This is UVA light therapy combined with an oral light-sensitizing medication known as psoralen.
