What to Expect with Phototherapy

Preparing for Treatment

You will be asked to remove any clothes that cover the skin being treated. Areas that do not need treatment should be covered and protected as much as possible. Some safety steps include:

• Sunscreen to protect your neck, lips and the backs of your hands
• Special glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from UV light
• Cover for genitals in men
• Sunscreen for nipples and areola in women
  

Make sure to inform your doctor about any medication that you are currently taking. Some medications, including over-the-counter medication, can increase the risk of side effects.

The Phototherapy Procedure

Phototherapy is typically delivered using one of the following:

• a whole-body chamber
• a handheld wand
• a smaller panel (for hands and feet)
• a whole-body panel
• a tabletop lamp
  

Treatment over a large area may be treated in a treatment unit. You can stand in this unit during treatment. Smaller areas may be treated with smaller units. A laser treatment will use a laser light that is focused on the specific area.

Phototherapy Session Length

The first treatment is usually very short, even a few seconds. Your phototherapy sessions will vary in length. It will depend on your skin type and the strength of the light chosen by your doctor. Treatments rarely last longer than a few minutes.  Generally, several treatments are required each week. 

After Phototherapy

It is important to avoid natural sunlight when you are receiving UV light treatment:

• Clothing and sunscreen should be used when outdoors. They will help you avoid overexposure to UV light.
• There is an increased risk of sunburn after PUVA treatment. This is due to increased sensitivity from the psoralen.
• It is important to protect your eyes from sunlight exposure for the next 24 hours. 
• Antihistamines and other medication may be given to ease the itching.
  

Your dermatologist should regularly examine your skin since long term UV light exposure from sunlight can cause skin cancer. 

Phototherapy is safe, though it can cause short-term side effects. Most are mild, and may include:

• redness
• dryness
• tenderness
• pain
• tightness
• itching
• blistering
  

If you take medication alongside phototherapy, you might experience additional side effects such as nausea, feeling unwell, and fever.  In the long term, phototherapy can make your skin age faster, causing coarseness, dryness, age spots, wrinkling, or looseness.