Narrow Band UVB Phototherapy is a form of ultraviolet treatment used to treat a wide variety of skin diseases, including psoriasis, eczema, polymorphous light eruption, lichen planus, urticaria and vitiligo.

Often we will do a ’test strip’ first to determine the best starting dose of treatment. This involves exposing several small squares of skin on the back to ultraviolet - each square getting a bigger dose than the one before. The next day these squares are checked to see if any of these doses have produced a mild sunburn - and one then commences treatment with the biggest dose which DID NOT produce a sunburn.

The patient stands in front of a bank of lights (which look like fluorescent tubes but which emit a special wavelength of light from the ultraviolet B range) to receive their dose of light as determined by their test strip. The first dose usually only takes a minute. Protective goggles or a faceshield are worn (unless the face or eyelids require treatment).

Treatments are done twice a week, and the dose is increased by 15-20% each treatment unless faint sunburn occurs.

Most skin diseases show improvement after 3 weeks of treatment, and the treatment is continued until the skin problem has entirely resolved. Although the treatment is usually administered by a phototherapist or one of our clinical assistants, the progress is carefully monitored by the dermatologist.