Is Laser Treatment for Psoriasis Effective?

Unpredictable and extremely irritating, psoriasis is one of the most inexplicable and persistent of skin disorders. Psoriasis is characterized by skin cells that multiply around ten times faster than normal. When these underlying cells reach the surface of the skin and die, they cause red plaques covered with white scales. Psoriasis is known to occur on the elbows, knees, and scalp, and it can also affect the palms, the torso, and the soles of the feet.

Treatment Options

If you are someone who is suffering from psoriasis, you would know how uncomfortable and embarrassing the red, itchy, scaly skin can be. The treatment options for psoriasis include steroid cream, other medicated creams, oral medications, and light therapy. All of these treatments work well, but these medications can have several side effects and things like light therapy require a regimen of three sessions a week for two to three months.

With the help of modern advancements in cosmetic dermatology, there is now another option for treating psoriasis – Excimer Lasers, which supply ultraviolet light to localized areas of skin. The treatment uses intense, focused application of lasers to help control areas of psoriasis without harming the healthy skin around it. Targeted laser therapy is quite similar in effectiveness to traditional therapy, but it works in fewer sessions with stronger doses of the laser that can reach deeper into the affected areas of the skin. The handheld laser wands are also more effective where the psoriasis is in hard to reach areas such as elbows, palms of the hands, knees, soles of the feet, and the scalp..

How Psoriasis Laser Treatment Works

Psoriasis laser treatments are performed in a dermatology clinic. Each session takes only around a few minutes to carry out. During the session, the dermatologist aims the laser directly at the patches of the psoriasis. You may feel some warmth or a snapping sensation when the laser touches your skin.

Laser treatments for psoriasis generally use one of the following two types of lasers:

· a pulsed dye laser (PDL) or

· excimer laser.

The pulsed dye lasers (PDL) create a concentrated beam of yellow light and when this light hits the skin it converts into heat. This generated heat destroys the extra blood vessels in the skin that cause psoriasis without harming the surrounding skin.

The excimer lasers aims a high intensity ultraviolet B (UVB) light of a specific wavelength (308 nanometers) directly at the psoriasis affected area. Since the laser light does not touch the surrounding skin, it reduces the risk of ultraviolet radiation exposure.

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