What should you know about white light therapy for skin?

Phototherapy exposes affected skin to a controlled dose of light. Narrowband UVB is a commonly used medical option for conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and some forms of eczema. The light can reduce inflammatory activity in the skin, which may ease itching, redness, and scaling over a planned course.

The phrase white light can also describe consumer lamps or cosmetic devices, which are not automatically equivalent to prescription phototherapy. A medical team chooses the wavelength, exposure time, and body areas according to your skin type, diagnosis, medicines, and response.

Ask which device is being used and whether your diagnosis is suitable for it. Attend sessions exactly as scheduled, protect areas not being treated when instructed, and tell the team about medicines or products that increase light sensitivity. Moisturiser may be recommended for dryness, but apply it according to the clinic's instructions.

Treatment plans are adjusted gradually. Keep a record of new redness, tenderness, blistering, or changes in existing marks, and report them before the next session. Do not add tanning or home UV exposure to a prescribed course.

Contact the treating team promptly if redness becomes painful, swelling or blistering develops, your eyes feel irritated, or a new rash appears outside treated areas. Seek urgent care for severe eye pain, facial swelling, breathing difficulty, or a rapidly worsening skin reaction.

Ask which light type is planned, what improvement to look for, how your medicines affect safety, how to protect your eyes and untreated skin, and what to do if a session causes a reaction.