Psoriasis is caused by a genetically determined, faulty defense reaction of the body. As a result, inflammatory processes occur primarily in the skin, but in rarer cases also throughout the body. A disturbed renewal process of the skin leads to the typical symptoms such as skin redness, scales and itching. Psoriasis is particularly common on the hairy head, elbow, knee and buttocks.
Psoriasis is a chronic disease and cannot be cured. It usually occurs in relapses, which can be triggered by internal and external trigger factors. The focus of therapy is on alleviating the symptoms, which represent a heavy psychological burden for those affected.
Many people with psoriasis already experience an improvement of their skin areas with increasing sun exposure. UV light penetrates the outer layers of the skin and is absorbed by different components of the epidermis depending on the spectral range. The UV-B narrow band spectrum initiates different biological processes in the skin, which inhibit inflammatory reactions and slow down the process of new formation. Thus, the disease activity can be reduced and the patient's quality of life can be increased.
Before starting the treatment, thicker dandruff and scabs should be removed with a dandruff remover to achieve a quick onset of action. A treatment series is usually composed of 20 to 30 individual sessions to be repeated 3 to 5 times per week.
With proper dosing and treatment adherence, 50 to 75% of users should subsequently have achieved a 75% improvement in skin appearance based on the PASI score. The PASI value is an index for the individual severity of psoriasis and is calculated from the percentage of affected body surface, redness of the skin, thickness of the plaques and the extent of scaling. In the end, the decisive factor for the user is his own perception and the improvement in his quality of life. After a series of treatments, most users remain free of symptoms for several months, sometimes even for a longer period of time.
Mild and limited psoriasis can usually be treated well with topical therapy such as locally applied corticosteroid cream. For moderate and severe forms of psoriasis, various drug therapies and UV phototherapy are used. In the case of insufficient therapeutic success, intolerance or contraindications, newer and highly effective biologics are also available in addition to conventional therapies.
The right choice of therapy depends on many individual factors and can only be determined in close consultation with the treating physician. Another aspect is the assumption of costs by the relevant health care systems. Due to its good efficacy, low side effects and manageable costs, UV phototherapy has been an established and proven form of therapy for many psoriasis patients worldwide for many years.