Phototherapy involves repeated exposure of the skin to ultraviolet (UV) light to treat various inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo. This therapy is one of the oldest treatment modalities in dermatology, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, who used natural light in combination with herbal extracts to treat skin disease 1. Phototherapy continues to be a highly preferred treatment by dermatologists . Developments have been made in the past several decades to make phototherapy an effective, convenient, and accessible treatment option for patients.
There are two main types of phototherapy:
Patients generally require about 20 phototherapy sessions before they see an improvement in their skin. Although response rates vary, studies suggest that 65% of the patients who receive UVB treatment and 75% of the patients who receive NB-UVB will experience significant skin clearance. Although UVB treatments are more widely used, PUVA may actually be more effective.
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