| Treatments
We Offer at Our Office Phototherapy -- Narrowband UVB UVB light is present in natural sunlight and has been long noted to be an effective treatment for psoriasis. The wavelengths of UVB light penetrate the skin and slow the growth of affected skin cells. Treatment involves exposing the skin to UVB light source for a prescribed time, on a regular schedule Natural sunlight, however, is a very unpredictable and unreliable source of UV light and so artificial sources of this light began to be used in treatment in standardized fashion. In recent years, the advent of narrowband UVB phototherapy utilizes the most effective wavelengths of UVB light (310-312 nm) in contrast to former UVB treatments which used a broadband source of UVB (290-320 nm). This more specific therapy increases the response to UVB phototherapy. PUVA Therapy PUVA or photochemotherapy is a type of ultraviolet radiation treatment used for severe skin diseases. PUVA is a combination treatment which consists of ingesting plant derived compounds called psoralens (P) and then exposing the skin to UVA (long wave ultraviolet radiation). UVA light is also present in natural sunlight. The light and the psoralen chemical interact to produce a therapeutic effect, hence the term photochemotherapy. The combination of treatment with psoralen and UVA causes skin cells to divide less rapidly, induces increased pigmentation and eradicate abnormally behaving immune cells from the skin. XTRAC Excimer Laser Treatment for Psoriasis and Vitiligo XTRAC is an excimer laser made by Photomedex that is used to treat localized psoriasis and localized vitiligo. It delivers targeted narrow-band UVB to affected areas. See above link for further details in the expanded section on narrowband UVB. Treatments are quick and painless and usually result in rapid resolution of disease. This laser is now primarily being used to treat psoriasis on the scalp and we recently reported excellent results with the treatment. It requires 10 to 30 treatments and often gives long remissions. LIkewise, it can be used to treat localized vitiligo in a similar fashion. Pulse Dye Laser Treatment Telangiectasias or so-called broken veins on the face, often part of rosacea, as well as portwine stains, hemangiomas in children and red-spots on the body in adults all can be selectively destroyed. The Candela pulsed-dye laser was the first selective laser and it was designed to destroy small blood vessels in the skin by recognizing the red color of red blood cells in blood vessels. The Candela V-Beam is the latest version of this laser and it can often remove blood vessels without bruising so that downtime is minimal. |
| Office Hours: Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. EST Dr. Warwick Morison • Dr. Elisabeth Richard, Johns Hopkins at Green Spring 10753 Falls Road, Suite 355 Lutherville, MD 21093 Tel: (410) 847-3700, Fax: (410) 847-3703 |