Why Laser Treatment Looks Promising For Treating Psoriasis?

Laser Treatments For Psoriasis

For treating the irritating skin disorder known as psoriasis, lasers may be the wave of the future. Much safer than the standard therapy of sitting in a box of ultraviolet light as researchers have found that zapping the scaly red patches even just once can get rid of them. 

Although it can affect many other areas of the body, psoriasis is a red, scaly rash that most commonly occurs on the elbows, knees, scalp, and genitalia. Whereas it can occur in children less than 10 years old, it is most often diagnosed in people in their 20s. It can be brought on by several factors including cold weather, stress, skin trauma, and certain drugs, as the rash usually comes and goes. Being treated with steroid skin creams are most cases of psoriasis. Called phototherapy, more severe cases often require exposure to intense ultraviolet rays. 

Much like sitting out in the sun, although this light therapy is very effective, it exposes patients to damaging ultraviolet rays. Without having to damage their skin and increase their chance of getting skin cancer, researchers have been hunting for a way to treat people with psoriasis. 

Study co-author Charles R. Taylor, MD, now compared with traditional phototherapy, the handheld laser able to focus the energy directly on the areas of the skin with the rash and spares the surrounding skin from unnecessary radiation exposure. He adds that here it reduces short term side effects like burning or itching and long-term effects like wrinkling and cancer. At the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Taylor is an assistant professor of dermatology. 

How Are Patients Evaluated? 

Evaluating the laser in 13 patients with four or more psoriasis patches is Taylor and colleagues. During the 10-week treatment period, each patch was given several doses of laser radiation anywhere from one to 20 treatments. 

More than medium or low doses, high doses of radiation produced significantly better results. Areas that were treated with medium or low doses all had recurrences four months later. Even after a single treatment although blistering was common, areas that were treated with high doses remained in remission. Published in the May issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology was the results. 

In psoriasis management, doctors say laser treatment is unlikely to replace phototherapy. Harold Brody, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, believes that it is probably not worth the cost for mild or moderate cases as laser treatments appear to be effective for resistant cases. 

To clear psoriasis patches, like the laser, phototherapy also uses ultraviolet light. Broody now says dermatologists usually have a lightbox that comes to be mounted on the back of the door thereby emitting different wavelengths of ultraviolet light. Usually, after taking an oral drug called psoralen, patients simply stand in front of it at prescribed intervals. 

Increasing the effects of light on the skin is the drug. 

This approach is used when symptoms aren’t controlled with steroid skin creams due to the risk of cancer. Broody adds that several months of phototherapy is often needed to resolve symptoms even with two treatments a week for moderate to severe cases. 

Information According To Studies

Few if any cover laser treatment whereas at present most health plans cover phototherapy. While reducing the risk of cancer, it may cause the managed care industry to take notice of this effective new treatment whereas its potential is to eliminate 25 or more office visits with every outbreak. 

In part by Laser Phototonics Inc. of San Diego was the study. 

The vital Information here:
Whereas blistering was common, a recent study showed that a laser beam of ultraviolet light can clear psoriasis patches in a single treatment with a fairly long remission. 

Laser treatments spare surrounding healthy tissue from unnecessary radiation exposure reducing the risk of cancer and premature aging, unlike traditional phototherapy. 

Treatments are usually covered by health insurance as several months of phototherapy is often needed to clear moderate to severe recurrences. 

How To Conclude This Report? 

Try laser treatments under the supervision of dermatologists. Don’t opt for salon experts or those not certified for this treatment. Experience does matter in this treatment. So, as we conclude, be sure you know the doctor well beforehand and comes to be having a good reputation in clearing these diseases in case of moderate to severe conditions. So, don’t worry about psoriasis but keep them in check anyhow.