UV Light Therapy

UV light therapy uses a specific spectrum of light to treat common skin challenges safely. Ultraviolet (UV) light can be harnessed into a treatment called phototherapy. Epiphany Dermatology offers advanced UV light therapy using narrowband ultraviolet light (UVB) under the care of their board-certified dermatologists.

The ultraviolet rays penetrate the epidermal layer of the skin, helping the body’s’ absorption of vitamin D. Vitamin D promotes healing of wounds in the skin, helps defend against disease-causing bacteria, and reduces inflammation. UV Light Therapy can stimulate the melanocytes in the epidermis, which increases pigment to darken the skin.

Individualized UV light therapy may be focused on discrete, localized, areas of the skin or in a stand-up, total body lightbox for whole body treatment. The settings and frequency of light therapy are carefully customized to meet each patient’s treatment needs. Phototherapy is an alternative option for treating children, pregnant women, and patients with medication sensitivities.

UV Light therapy has shown to be an effective treatment option for several skin conditions, such as:

Psoriasis: Psoriasis is a skin condition where the body’s hyperactive autoimmune response to attack and replace healthy skin cells at an accelerated rate. This produces rough, scaly plaques of skin to cover the areas of inflammation. UV light therapy not only aids the body with its inflammation response, but inhibits the body’s natural autoimmune response, decreasing the plaque overgrowth on the skin. Phototherapy, in combination with topical medications, is one of the primary treatments for psoriasis outbreaks.

Eczema: Eczema is a set of skin conditions that cause several symptoms of discomfort. Their skin can become dry, irritated, itchy, red, and inflamed. Many of these symptoms are abated when patients undergo UV light therapy. According to the National Eczema Association, up to 70 percent of patients see improvement with phototherapy¹.

Jaundice: Jaundice is a skin condition experienced by some newborns after birth. It is characterized by the baby’s’ skin and sclera (white area of the eye) appearing yellow. Many treatments of infant jaundice include UV phototherapy and regular feedings. This combination helps the newborn excrete the excess bilirubin in their system and return them to healthy-looking skin tones².

Vitiligo: Vitiligo is a skin disease that causes the skin to lose color in irregular patches³. UV light therapy stimulates the melanocytes, pigment-producing skin cells, in the epidermis. Phototherapy can be individualized to treat specific areas of skin, to even skin tone.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: This is a rare form of cancer in the T-cell lymphocyte. Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) mimics symptoms from other skin conditions like skin plaques in psoriasis or red, inflamed rashes from eczema. Often a person with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma can go sometime before they are properly diagnosed. UV light therapy has proven to be extremely effective in treating

¹ Phototherapy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nationaleczema.org:
https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/treatment/phototherapy/

² Your Baby, Jaundice, and Phototherapy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/umphototherapy.htm

³ Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org. Retrieved from Vitiligo:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vitiligo/symptoms-causes/syc-20355912

For more information about UV Light Therapy, please contact Epiphany Dermatology

Our Riverside Location:
805 NW Platte Rd., Suite 120
Riverside, MO 64150  |  CLICK HERE for Directions
Phone: (816) 205-8120
SEND US AN E-MAIL

Our St. Joseph Location:
805 N 36th St., Suite D
St. Joseph, MO 64506  |  CLICK HERE for Directions
Phone: (816) 205-8120
SEND US AN E-MAIL