Question re UVA vs UVB light rays

[sunshine06]

Hey everyone...newbie here (I've actually posted a couple of times though already!)

Okay, I had light treatments for a few years when I was young (about 10 years old or so, at the derm's office, in front of the light box)...I've had p since I was 8.

It worked for awhile and then eventually I sorta grew out of it in high school. Well, I haven't had any problems with it for years (except on my elbows but then it has never gone away on my elbows and the rest of me has been clear). I had a few flare-ups that "worked themselves out." So...long story short, I got pregnant and it went crazy. Now my son is almost 9 months old and I just weaned him in order to start up Ultravate and Dovonex. It's working but it makes my psoriasis flat and RED. (Any ideas how to fix that, BTW?) Anyhow, I really don't like to use steroids. I'm thinking of trying the phototherapy again.

I am not able to go to the psoriasis center and get treatment b/c it's too far away and I don't have anyone who can watch my son during their (limited) hours. So I'm thinking of using a tanning booth. But nowadays they are virtually UVB-free (either 0% or less than 2%). Is it the UVA or UVB that is important? I just don't want to waste my money if all I'm going to get is a nice tan, LOL!

Thanks for reading and I am really glad I found this board. I've had this stuff for 22 years and it sucks!

[Resist]

Now my son is almost 9 months old and I just weaned him in order to start up Ultravate and Dovonex. It's working but it makes my psoriasis flat and RED. (Any ideas how to fix that, BTW?) Anyhow, I really don't like to use steroids. I'm thinking of trying the phototherapy again.
I'm confused, you say you are already using UV and Dovonex but are thinking about trying phototherapy? UV and phototherapy are the same thing. UV does make psoriasis red shortly after treatments, this is normal. But then so does Dovonex. I use a mild steroid, I know you would rather not but that is what reduces the redness. Over time the UVB treatments reduce the psoriasis patch so the redness is less noticable.

It's UVB that works, not UVA.

[MikeK]

Hi Wvanryn,

Welcome to the Board! :cool: Nice to meet you.

Congratulations on the birth of your son! How wonderful.

(Unfortunately, as you discovered, pregnancy sometimes causes psoriasis to go haywire. :()

Dovonex is one of the treatment that I use on the psoriasis on my ankles. It keeps the scaling down, unfortunately, I have the same problems with redness that you've described. (Sigh)

More then a few people have posted here that they've been helped by going to tanning salon. (Like everything else, tanning doesn't work for everyone.) As long as you're careful not to burn (there is nothing worse the a burn on top of psoriasis in my experience :eek: ) it can't hurt to try it. It just might help.

You also might want to look into getting a home UVB unit. They're often covered by insurance (the NPF has an insurance advocacy service that goes to bat for people who have insurance issues) and you'd be able to get the benefit of UVB in the comfort of your home and at your (and your son's) convience.

I hope this helps.

Mike

[Alarbman]

I am one of the people where it seems to work the best. Used it for years in between PUVA and NBUV. The only thing I have noticed over the years is that the UVA does not work that good on the legs, but it still helps. It keeps most of me clear. They actually worked better before 1986, when the beds had both UVB and UVA bulbs. In 1987 the law was changed, and the UVB bulbs are only now available by perscription. Even the owner of the booth I have gone to for 10 years now insisted that "His bulbs" had "A lot of UVB in them". He actually admitted he was wrong a few days later, after I told him to reasearch it with his bulb supplier.

Skin cancer is allways possible, you need to be checked at least once a year!

[sunshine06]

Resist....I have been using Ultravate & Dovonex. I want to quit both and use phototherapy only. What connection does Ultravate have with light treatments?
Now I'M confused, :)

Mike...thanks for the welcome! Yeah when I was little the dermatologist put me in the light booth for the maximum time of 20 minutes. He said he had never seen skin so resistant like mine because I wouldn't burn, wouldn't tan, wouldn't anything! They bumped me up to 30 and told me to spend as much time in the sun as possible with vaseline on the psoriasis! Anyway, my skin has changed and I am more prone to burn at first, so I am careful. I did set up an appt with a dermatologist so I will ask him about a home unit. That would be wonderful!

Alarbman, that is interesting, I wonder what kind of bulbs were used when I had light treatments. It was 86 when I started treatments.

[SCCatman]

FIRST OF ALL, DO NOT BURN!!!!
I think someone confused Ultravate with ultraviolite, just reading too fast I suspect, or assumed it was ultravalite mispelled (like I just did ;))

What you really want is UVB. Sun is good.

You can eat a couple of stalks of cerlery a couple of hours before the tanning booth. Celery has psoriline in it, so it is like cheap PUVA.
One problem is that since it varies from stalk to stalk, you cannot know accutatly how much psolorine you are taking, so be carfull.

Soe people also seem to get goo dreults from just doing the tanning booth normaly.
LAST OF ALL, DO NOT BURN!!!!

Best wishes,
Dennis

[Resist]

Resist....I have been using Ultravate & Dovonex. I want to quit both and use phototherapy only. What connection does Ultravate have with light treatments?
Now I'M confused
Sorry, I confused Ultravate as being Ultraviolet. I should read slower next time. I use mostly UVB but at times still need some topicals for my face and scalp. I don't want to treat those areas with UVB as I would also be getting additional exposure from the sun, when I go outside. No need to risk burning.

[screech]

It's working but it makes my psoriasis flat and RED. (Any ideas how to fix that, BTW?) !


Depending on what the red spot looks like, it might just be the beginning step to clearing. Does the area feel like "normal" skin? Whenever I had P on a area for a while and then it cleared with salves, UVB or biologics, it left a flat red stain behind but it acted and felt like normal skin and it took about a year for the stain to disapear. I vaguely remember the derm offering some sort or ointment that I could apply for a few months to decrease the time that it took but I chose to let it disapear natually.

[sunshine06]

Does the area feel like "normal" skin?
it's very close to it

Also, don't worry, I don't let myself burn! :D I am very careful.