Your particular skin condition may benefit from more than medications and topical treatments. Harnessing the power of light enables dermatologists in the Sutter Health network to treat your skin disorder in a unique way. Regularly scheduled light therapy sessions can help heal psoriasis, eczema, actinic keratosis, acne, vitiligo, scleroderma and different types of skin cancers.
We offer the full range of light therapy procedures, including:
- Phototherapy — Light therapy with ultraviolet light effectively treats some types of skin diseases including psoriasis, vitiligo and eczema. Exposing affected skin cells to the light on a regular basis can slow their growth. This treatment uses light boxes, excimer lasers and other types of light sources.
- Photodynamic Therapy — This procedure uses either laser or nonlaser light to treat premalignant keratoses, sun-damaged skin, skin cancer and acne. The light, when used in conjunction with a photosensitizing medication, selectively destroys abnormal cells. Blue light therapy, another type of photodynamic therapy, uses a blue light device to treat acne and actinic keratoses.
- Photochemotherapy — This phototherapy treatment uses ultraviolet radiation in combination with a medication called Psoralen to treat psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo and other severe skin diseases. The medication makes skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light, which slows the growth of new skin cells.
Dermatologists in the Sutter Health network are certified by the American Board of Dermatology and stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in treatment options. Many are also members of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
