Psoriasis is a skin disease that has no cure and it is characterized by plaque--thick patches of skin that are red and have silvery scales. Certain treatments, such as laser therapy, offer relief from psoriasis symptoms.
Indications
The National Psoriasis Foundation states that laser therapy is used to treat chronic or persistent psoriatic plaques that are located in one area of the skin.
Types
There are two types of laser treatments for psoriasis--excimer laser and pulsed dye laser treatments. The Xtrac velocity and Xtrac are the two brands of excimer laser therapy available. In this therapy, a high intensity beam of UVB, or ultraviolet light B, is used on the skin area with a patch of plaque. During pulsed dye laser therapy, a dye and light are directed at the psoriatic plaques. The light used here has a different wavelength from that used in excimer therapy.
Effects
Application of both pulsed dye laser therapy and excimer laser therapy over a period of weeks or months clears away the patches of plaque that were treated. This treatment is not permanent. It makes the treated plaque go away only for a limited period of time.
