Ultraviolet Light Treatment For Lichen Sclerosus

After several weeks your doctor will likely recommend that you only use these medications twice a week to prevent a recurrence.

Ultraviolet light treatment for lichen sclerosus.

But it can also affect your upper arms torso and breasts. In women surgery is often not a preferred treatment. Corticosteroid ointments or creams are commonly prescribed for lichen sclerosus. Light therapy usually requires two to three treatments a week for several weeks.

However if you are experiencing symptoms and the lichen sclerosus presents on the vulva or the penis your doctor is likely to recommend. Ultraviolet light treatment for affected rashes not on the genitals immune modulating medications like pimecrolimus elidel for women experiencing painful sexual intercourse due to tightening of. Light therapy phototherapy may help clear up lichen planus affecting the skin. Lichen sclerosus is a rare skin condition that usually shows up on your genital or anal areas.

It can and often does clear up on its own. After 3 months of narrowband uv b therapy. This treatment is not used in the genital area so it is only an option for lichen sclerosus that occurs in other areas of the body. The condition mostly affects adult women.

This is done if other treatments fail. Some physicians recommend the use of ultraviolet light treatment to relieve the symptoms of lichen sclerosus. Regarding genital lichen sclerosus a rct comparing the efficacy of home administered medium dose ultraviolet uv a 1 was given 4 times a week with once daily application of clobetasol ointment in. For men removing the foreskin circumcision is often a successful treatment.

In cases of mild lichen sclerosus especially when the genital regions are not affected you may not actually require treatment. Uv rays usually uvb are most commonly used. The most common phototherapy for lichen planus uses ultraviolet b uvb light which penetrates only the upper layer of skin epidermis. Tacrolimus protopic and pimecrolimus elidel a class of drugs called calcineurin inhibitors are other options to treat lichen sclerosus that occurs on the vulva.

Other alternatives are retinoid treatments such as isotretinoin ultraviolet light for treating skin not near the genital area and photodynamic therapy a treatment that uses special drugs and light. Patients will typically enter a machine that shines uvb light onto the area. That s because lichen sclerosus often comes back.