If you’re having trouble managing your eczema, then you may be at a loss over what to do next. You likely moisturise all the time, keep an eye on your diet and apply topical steroid creams when your skin flares up badly. Sometimes, none of this seems to help.

You know that there are some medications like immune suppressants that are used to help people with life-debilitating eczema, but you aren’t comfortable taking this route. Before you try anything else, you may want to consider having a course of phototherapy on your skin.

What is phototherapy and can it help control your eczema?

What Is Phototherapy?

Phototherapy treatments use a form of ultraviolet light to treat skin conditions. This is usually narrowband ultraviolet B or UVB light which is considered to be the most useful phototherapy medium.

This therapy usually takes place in a specially designed room or walk-in cabinet that has light tubes fitted on its walls. These tubes direct the UV light on to your skin. You may get full body exposure or the light may be focused on the parts of your body that are most affected by eczema.

Typically, you have multiple sessions over a period of weeks. Depending on the condition of your skin and its natural reaction to UV rays, each session can last anything from a few seconds to a few minutes.

How Does Phototherapy Work on Eczema?

It is generally accepted that the UV light used in this therapy modulates your skin’s immune cells to counteract the effects of conditions like eczema.

It’s important to realise that phototherapy doesn’t cure eczema; it helps make the condition more manageable. For example, the therapy may

• reduce inflammation

• diminish redness
• improve skin scaling
• reduce itching
• make the skin feel less tender and sore

So, this may be a useful addition to your eczema management routine when your condition is getting worse.

Will Phototherapy Relieve Your Eczema Symptoms?

Not every eczema sufferer needs phototherapy treatment. This therapy is most often used on people whose eczema has flared up so badly that they are finding it hard to get under control.

So, for example, if your eczema moisturisers and anti-inflammatory creams aren’t improving your skin during a bad break-out, then phototherapy may get your eczema under control in itself or get the condition to the stage where moisturising and anti-inflammatories start to work again.

In either case, phototherapy treatment may put your skin in remission for a while so you can start to enjoy life. You may need repeat treatments in the future if your eczema gets really unmanageable again.

Bear in mind that you can’t make the decision to have a phototherapy treatment by yourself.. A dermatologist can give you the information needed to help you make a decision about treatment. They can assess if phototherapy is likely to improve the condition of your skin. They also need to evaluate if you are a suitable patient for the treatment. For example, if you have an immune condition or if your eczema gets worse in sunlight, then this may not be the treatment for you.

To find out more about phototherapy and to work out if this is a suitable treatment for your eczema, contact Darwin Dermatology to make an appointment with one of our dermatologists. We can take a look at your eczema and help you get it under control. If phototherapy is an option, we can treat you on site in our specialist phototherapy room.