PSORIASIS
The advanced alternative
As a psoriasis sufferer you know how debilitating this disease
can be. You've tried a variety of treatments but none has delivered
relief from the redness, scaling, and itching you experience.
Now there is an effective alternative to topical creams, ultraviolet
phototherapy, and oral drugs. A treatment that will allow you
quickly to resume a normal, active lifestyle.
Advanced pulse dye laser technology, successfully used to treat
a wide variety of skin lesions in adults and children, now is
proving to be a remarkably powerful weapon in the battle against
psoriasis
Before you decide on laser treatment for your psoriasis, here are
some things you should know about the Cynosure pulse laser.
• How does the laser work?
• Does it work on all types of psoriasis?
• How many treatments are required?
• Does it work on everyone?
• Is the treatment difficult?
• Is the treatment painful?
• Will pulse dye laser treatment be more effective
than PUVA, narrow band UVB, creams or drugs?
• How safe are pulse dye lasers?
How does the laser work?
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Cynosure pulse laser technology is particularly suited for the
treatment of psoriasis because it provides for the selective elimination
of small blood vessels that support the growth of the psoriatic
plaque. With these vessels gone, the growth of the plaque should
be significantly slowed or discontinued.
Does it work on all types
of psoriasis? | Top
The Cynosure pulse dye laser is ideal for treating stable, localized
psoriatic plaques typical in mild to moderate psoriasis.
How many treatments are required?
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Results are seen within three to four weeks. Typically, five to
six monthly treatments are recommended.
Does it work on everyone?
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Initial clinical studies demonstrated that 73% of patients experienced
more than 70% clearance of their psoriatic plaques. Of the remaining
patients, some 15% obtained about 50% clearance, 5% minimal clearance,
and 7% experienced no change, which is consistent with other,
more time-consuming procedures.
Is the treatment difficult?
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Not at all. In fact it's a simple two-step process.
Step One -- Your physician will prescribe a lotion,
which you will apply on the areas to be treated for on week prior
to treatment.
Step Two -- On the treatment day your physician
will coat the designated areas with a special fluid to enhance their
receptivity to the laser. Then the physician or medical assistant
will treat the areas with the laser. A typical four-inch square
area will require several minutes.
Is the treatment painful?
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There is some minor discomfort associated with the treatment.
Most patients describe the treatment as a series of rubber band
snaps to the skin. Your physician can reduce or eliminate this
discomfort by providing you with a topical anesthetic or by cooling
the treated area with ice or an air-cooling device.
Will pulse dye laser treatment
be more effective than PUVA, narrow band UVB, creams or drugs?
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While your results should be comparable to other types of treatment,
pulse dye laser technology frees you from the potential undesirable
side affects commonly associated with other treatments. For example:
• Pulse dye laser treatment
requires fewer treatments and less time than PUVA, or narrow band
UVB, and will not cause aging or your normal skin as is the case where
the entire body is exposed to UV.
• Pulse dye laser radiation
is not UV, which is typically mentioned in conjunction with skin cancer.
• Pulse dye laser treatments
are less messy than the daily application of creams and lotions.
• Unlike drugs, pulse dye
laser treatments are non-systemic.
How safe are pulse dye lasers?
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Pulse dye lasers have been used since 1983 to treat port wine
birthmarks and hemangiomas in infants as young as two days old.
Today pulse dye lasers are routinely used in thousands of medical
and cosmetic treatments in more than 80 countries. More than 100
peer-reviewed articles have been published on pulse dye laser
treatments, including several on psoriasis treatment.
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