What to expect from narrowband UVB phototherapy for hand eczema

Narrowband UVB uses a carefully selected band of ultraviolet light to reduce inflammation in eczema-prone skin. Your clinician sets the exposure based on your skin response and treatment history. Hands may need focused positioning so the affected surfaces receive the intended light. Improvement is assessed over a course of appointments rather than after one visit; dryness, fissures, scaling, and itch may change at different speeds.

Attend on the schedule provided and tell the clinic about medicines, supplements, or other light treatments before starting. Keep the hands clean and avoid applying unapproved creams, fragrances, or photosensitising products immediately before a session. Use the moisturiser recommended by your clinician between appointments, especially after washing. Do not increase exposure yourself or use tanning equipment. A treatment diary can help you report cracking, itch, tenderness, or flare patterns accurately.

Contact the clinic if redness lasts longer than expected, blistering develops, pain becomes marked, or the hands swell. Seek prompt medical advice for spreading warmth, pus, fever, or rapidly worsening cracks, which can signal infection. Tell your dermatologist if eczema repeatedly flares after sessions or if treatment is interfering with work, sleep, or hand movement.

Ask which hand areas will be treated, how you should protect unaffected skin, and what reaction is expected after each visit. Clarify how to use moisturiser and prescribed eczema medicines around appointments, and how progress will be reviewed.