Phototherapy at home

[caballera]

Hello, 

I have psoriasis from elbow to my wrist and from knee to foot.
I would like to buy a phototherapy appliance (I need the smallest one to cover small areas).

From my search on the web I couldn't get to a conclusion on which one should I go with...

I would appreciate a first hand recommendation for such an appliance.
As for now the leading appliance I am considering is Kernel KN4003BL.

Recommendation against is also appreciated

Thanks for your time !

[jiml]

Hi Caballera and   to the forum, I'm afraid I can't help on the uv lamp question, I'm sure one of the members will have some ideas for you,

I hope you find the club helpful in your search, there is a lot of information in the health boards to browse through and as a member you can use the search facility at the top of the page to find what you are looking for
You will find us a friendly group of sufferers so make yourself at home, and you will find we have an active off topic section which you are welcome to join in the numerous threads

[jiml]

See this thread and on it is a link to another thread on phototherapy Home UVB light treatment without Doctor/Derm

[Kat]

Afraid I don't know much about them. I did have the UV treatments at the doctor's office and I was told by my dermatologist after finishing those that although they normally don't recommend them, a tanning bed can help. I thought about having something at home (a small unit), but I've heard that the ones you can buy for home are just not as effective and rarely worth the money. I think if I were to ever take that route, I'd want to discuss it with a trusted doctor or even nurse to get their opinion on it. They could at least advise on strength of the light needed and by knowing your skin type offer advice for how long to start, etc.

But.... good luck and if you buy a home unit I hope it works for you!

[Christopher Hendriks]

Hello, 

I have psoriasis from elbow to my wrist and from knee to foot.
I would like to buy a phototherapy appliance (I need the smallest one to cover small areas).

From my search on the web I couldn't get to a conclusion on which one should I go with...

I would appreciate a first hand recommendation for such an appliance.
As for now the leading appliance I am considering is Kernel KN4003BL.

Recommendation against is also appreciated

Thanks for your time !

Greetings, am a newbie to this forum, just registered now, am so glad to be here, its a breath of fresh air, knowing am not alone.  However am no stranger to psoriasis.... been battling with it for 17 years ,am now 27 - I would like to share my experiences/knowledge. Starters. The above mentioned lamp, is a UVB product, its an advancement technology to an old lamp (UVA-PUVA). i have designed my own machine at home buying phillips lamps direct from the manufacturer. 80% of psoriasis patience's had responded successfully,however the balance were unlucky. Its a good start but you have to be very careful how to administer this short burst of light, to much can cause skin cancer and wont be effective at all. I would strongly suggest to see your dermatologist first. so he can advise on dosages. He might even prescribe a combination of oral immune suppressants (methoxrate, Acitretin, Psoralen etc) and topical steroids (dovobet, elicon, Dovate etc).  to speed up the process.  but remember those should be prescribed proportionally to how serve your psoriasis is and only if your liver is in good condition. i have been exposed to almost every treatment besides Biologics as yet. I want to share more....please feel free to message me or post on this forum.   

i unfortunately have been part of the unlucky 20% with UVB - however my current treatment that is showing crazy positive results in only one month is the old UVA -PUVA treatment, combined with Psoralen tablets and a topical steriod of dovobet ! to increase my leg repair and treatment,i will also go on a higher level immune suppressant - Acitretin.  

My advice to you ? proceed with UVB light treatment and a mild topical steroid but please, consult your dermatologist. i damaged some of my skin on my leg by thinking i knew it all and over exposed my legs to UVB  because i didn't see a doctor,now i have black marks that are showing a slow sign of repair.    Shalom. God bless, hope to hear from you !!!

[jiml]

Hi Christopher and   to the forum, there's never needs to be any reason to feel alone, if ever you feel that way just come here, there's always someone to talk to.  
I thank you for sharing your experience of uv treatments and also for your wise words of caution.
You will find the site full of information about psoriasis and it's treatment, along with a large section on members experiences
Do feel free to join us in any of the forums and if you need a hand finding anything  just shout, someone will jump in
We have a very active off topic section where our friendly members will always be pleased to welcome you  

[Kat]

Welcome Christopher!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree that it is always good to check with your doctor before trying light treatments on your own!

[Caroline]

Hello Chistopher,

Welcome to the forum. Wise words of caution you speak. Very important.


Ooooo, I 'have' to ask it..... Do you speak Dutch? As your name is quite Dutch?

Caroline.

[Christopher Hendriks]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I have just been for my 12th UVA-PUVA treatment a few minutes ago. With one of the leading Dermatologist in South Africa.....(Yeah i know, am from the other-side of the world haha). Am really excited to hear from everyone on this forum. 

God's grace has sustained me thus far and am trusting him for a completed work this time. i just have my stubborn legs now to clear up and il be set-free. 
Problem is, i over used steroids (dovate) on my legs when i "thought" i didn't need to consult a doctor and i over exposed my legs with UVA. but there is slow progress. My worse nightmare came to pass 2 years ago, as i was diagnosed with Guttate psoriasis.....these start with tiny pimples and can spread in to plague psoriasis and cover more than 80% of your body. This is a bad sign of your immune system being infected on a higher level when Guttate psoraisis pops up. However my current treatment has cleared everything except my Legs.  

but to shock my immune system i started on Acitrerin today. My bloods came back good. To be honest, to come back to my initial response i believe if psoraisis is caught at its early stages before it turns into Guttate or a large coverage plague it can be totally healed with Light/topical treatment. However 
maintenance is always required. Nevertheless ....we will fight this infirmity and run our race with endurance !!  

@Caroline....My surname is a long story haha but am not Dutch - Shalom.  

Concluding advice - please be ultra careful on the types of Steroids you use !! I used Dovate - the strongest topical steroid for psoriasis. Over use can cause serious skin damage. And over exposure of UV light can cause skin cancer if not administered correctly. BUT !!! you combine these two at correct dosages and its a miracle treatment ! Am open to more questions and would love to share more if i can. God bless you all !