Unique Home Phototherapy Service launched in UK

Feb. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- NEW Home Phototherapy service launched
for treatment of chronic skin conditions.

Background to the current treatment of Psoriasis, eczema, acne and vitiligo.

Whilst not life threatening, skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne and vitiligo can cause sufferers both acute physical pain and severe emotional distress.
Amazingly, 15% of general practice consultations are in relation to skin disease with 80% of the population suffering from acne at some time during their lives and Psoriasis affecting about 3% of the population. The incidence of eczema is increasing dramatically with over 5.7m adults and children affected (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine).

As far as the British Association of Dermatologists are concerned, they have commented that with regard to the treatment of Psoriasis “The NHS is failing to provide patients with the level of care they deserve”.Phototherapy is one of the safest and most effective treatments for psoriasis, eczema, acne and vitiligo. Indeed phototherapy is considered by the Association of Dermatologists as the only safe treatment for pregnant women, as most other treatments include the use of steroid creams. A study conducted in Germany found more than 80% of the patients with eczema who were treated with phototherapy showed significant improvement.

In the rest of Europe the provision of phototherapy treatments is much more readily available, indeed in Holland there are over 2500 home phototherapy ultraviolet treatment devices. In the UK whilst there is nothing stopping an individual purchasing phototherapy equipment for use in the home, there has been no ongoing clinical support available to ensure that the exposure to light given by such equipment is safely measured and controlled. Without such clinical support the user could over expose themselves causing both severe burns and possible risk to other long term skin problems including the higher risk of developing skin cancer.

The use of the correct type of phototherapy equipment is essential, the use of standard sun beds to treat skin conditions should particularly be avoided and often sufferers mistakenly buy or use such equipment to treat skin conditions not realising that phototherapy treatments use a very specific light source.

The key to success with light therapy (phototherapy) is consistency. Present in natural sunlight UVB penetrates the skin and slows the growth of affected skin cells. Treatment involves exposing the skin to an artificial UVB light source for a carefully graded series of increasing times on a regular schedule. UVB phototherapy can be combined with other topical creams to enhance clearance of skin conditions. Combining UVB in this way may increase efficacy dramatically and allow for lower doses of the topical medication to be used.

The present provision in England and Wales of UV light therapy services by the NHS is currently inadequate and many more phototherapy units are needed to serve the whole population. In contrast, the NHS in Scotland has steadily improved provision of phototherapy services with an ‘all-Scotland’ managed clinical network. In response to this need the ClearSkin Dermatology Treatment Clinic was set up in 2006 in order to provide a top quality phototherapy service for private patients suffering from chronic skin disease.

Home UVB phototherapy – a new service from Clear Skin

Treating psoriasis and other skin conditions with a UVB light unit at home is an economical and convenient choice for many people who are not located close to a NHS phototherapy clinic or indeed The Clear Skin Dermatology Treatment Clinic. Like phototherapy in a clinic, it requires a treatment schedule that is carefully designed for the safety of the individual patient to provide the maximum therapeutic effect in the shortest time, while avoiding the risks and possible UV-induced burns that may occur with unsupervised home treatment. Individuals are treated initially at The Clear Skin Dermatology Treatment Clinic or within their own home and then begin using a light unit at home over a period initially of 4 -6 weeks.

Home phototherapy is a medical treatment that requires monitoring by a health care professional and Clear Skin provide a complete support and advice service for patients throughout the time of their treatment. This includes initially calibrating the phototherapy equipment to the correct settings for each individual and training users how long and how often doses of light exposure should occur to ensure the safe and most effective treatment is obtained. On an ongoing basis the Clear Skin Home Phototherapy service provides support to patients by a variety of methods including phone, online conferencing and personal support through specialist phototherapy nurses and dermatology consultants.

Professor Alex Anstey, joint founder of the Clear Skin clinic and a leading phototherapy practitioner commenting on the new Home Phototherapy Service states “We are delighted by the reaction of patients to the introduction of the service. It can make a real difference to an individual’s quality of life. Successful treatment using phototherapy usually involves visiting a NHS or private clinic 3 times a week over a period of 4-6 weeks. As a result if an individual lives remotely from such a service there is no real way to access the service as the time and cost to travel makes it very difficult. The service allows patients to obtain treatment in the comfort of their own home with the medical back up and support required.

Since the launch of the service The Clear Skin Clinic has been inundated by new clients looking to take advantage of the service. New patients can be referred by a dermatologist consultant, GP or contact Clear Skin direct to make an appointment to see Professor Anstey and discuss their suitability for phototherapy treatment.
For more information on Phototherapy treatments please contact the Clear Skin Dermatology Treatment Clinic on 029 2079 5775 or visit www.clearskin.uk.com


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO CONTACT PROFESSOR ALEX ANSTEY:
Paul James
Managing Director
Stepping Stones Marketing
Tel: 029 2002 9724
Email : info@steppingstonesmarketing.co.uk
www.steppingstonesmarketing.co.uk

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ClearSkin is a private skin clinic based in Cardiff, South Wales. Patients can be seen promptly by our Consultant Dermatologist and Specialist Dermatology Nursing Team providing peace of mind and immediate treatment for your skin condition. Diagnosis of skin conditions, expert skin advice, appropriate skin treatments and ongoing support is provided by our experienced skin doctors.