August is Psoriasis Action Month, making it a good time to revisit a treatment that has been used successfully for decades but is sometimes overlooked: phototherapy.<\/p>\n
Phototherapy is controlled medical treatment with specific wavelengths of ultraviolet light. It is not the same as using a tanning bed or simply spending more time in the sun. Dermatology offices use measured treatment protocols designed around the patient\u2019s condition, skin response, and treatment area.<\/p>\n
A: Narrowband ultraviolet B, or NB-UVB, uses a specific portion of the UVB spectrum to reduce inflammation and slow the excessive skin-cell turnover involved in psoriasis.<\/p>\n
Whole-body NB-UVB is especially useful when psoriasis affects multiple areas or a larger percentage of the body. Treatment is performed in a specialized standing phototherapy unit, and exposure time is carefully increased according to a treatment protocol and the patient\u2019s response.<\/p>\n
A: Excimer laser treatment delivers a targeted form of narrowband UVB to specific plaques rather than exposing the entire body. This can be useful for smaller, stubborn areas of psoriasis, including certain plaques on the scalp, elbows, knees, hands, feet, or other localized sites.<\/p>\n
Because the light is directed only to the affected skin, uninvolved surrounding skin can often be spared.<\/p>\n
A: They serve different purposes. Whole-body NB-UVB may make more sense when the disease is widespread. Excimer laser treatment may be a better fit when psoriasis is limited to selected areas.<\/p>\n
Some patients may use phototherapy as a primary treatment, while others use it alongside topical medications or as one part of a broader psoriasis plan. The right choice depends on how much skin is involved, where the plaques are located, previous treatments, medical history, and practical considerations such as treatment frequency.<\/p>\n
A: Phototherapy is typically performed as a series rather than a single treatment. The exact schedule and number of sessions varies by condition, treatment type, skin response, and the protocol selected by the clinician.<\/p>\n
Consistency matters. Missed treatments can slow progress, while moving too quickly can increase the chance of redness or burning. That is why medical phototherapy is delivered in a controlled setting with dose adjustments based on response.<\/p>\n
A: No. Depending on the diagnosis, narrowband UVB and Excimer laser treatment can also be used for conditions such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and certain other inflammatory or pigmentary disorders. Not every patient is a candidate, so diagnosis and medical history matter.<\/p>\n
A: Borealis currently offers:<\/p>\n
This allows patients with localized or more widespread conditions to discuss the type of phototherapy that best matches their treatment needs.<\/p>\n
A: If topical medications are not controlling your psoriasis, you would prefer to avoid or delay systemic treatment, you have localized plaques that are difficult to clear, or your current plan is simply not working well enough, phototherapy may be worth discussing.<\/p>\n
Psoriasis treatment has expanded dramatically, including new oral medications and biologics, but established therapies such as NB-UVB and Excimer laser treatment remain useful options for the right patients.<\/p>\n
Learn more about Borealis Dermatology\u2019s phototherapy services<\/a> and our broader psoriasis treatment options<\/a>.<\/p>\n Borealis Dermatology sees patients in Garden City, Syosset, and Bellerose, NY.<\/strong> Book Appointment<\/a> to discuss whether phototherapy may fit your treatment plan.<\/p>\n Continue reading about oral psoriasis treatment with icotrokinra<\/a>.<\/p>\n Phototherapy for psoriasis can mean whole-body narrowband UVB or targeted Excimer laser treatment. Learn when dermatologists use each approach and why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":2966,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,34],"tags":[48,47],"class_list":["post-2787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-medical-dermatology","tag-phototherapy","tag-psoriasis"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phqUFp-IX","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/borealisderm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_0223.jpeg?fit=1536%2C2048&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2787"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3637,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2787\/revisions\/3637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/borealisderm.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Trusted Sources & Related Reading<\/h3>\n
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