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Posts Tagged ‘phototherapy’
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Here's a testimonial from one of our recent customers who happens to live very near our factory in Hudson Falls, NY. She took the time to stop by one day to show us how much she was improving, and it really was dramatic. Her happiness was obvious, her enthusiasm was infectious, and her results were indisputable. It was a real pleasure meeting with her and seeing how happy her home system has made her both look and feel:
March 8, 2010
Dear Everyone at UVBioTek
I just wanted to send a Huge thank you to the whole team at UVBio.
I have been fighting with a very rough skin condition called psoriasis that causes your skin to grow very fast causing rough dry looking patches called lesions. The patches are very rough, crack and itch. They are very pain full. They peel and flake as the skin grows too fast. Not only do these patches hurt but are very embarassing. People look at you like you have a very contagious disease and are afraid to talk to you. I have tried many creams and lotions and many different types of treatments including biologic drugs like enbrell that work a little for my skin better on the arm.
I want to send a Huge thank you to Darrel for all the hard work that she did. She worked very hard with my insurance company with forms and applying for coverage to help cover the cost. I know she spent many hours on the phone with them to get this approved for me. I did not have to fight with them on my own for that is worth a million thank yous. She took a lot of the stress away for me.
Before I started using the uvb narrow band home unit, my body was about 90% covered. I had it on my stomach, my back, my legs, and my scalp. There were very few places that were not covered with these patches of rough skin. After just a few weeks of using the unit in my home, I could start to see a difference in my skin it started clearing almost right away. My boyfriend could peel my back in the evening and by morning it was ready to peel again. Some days I felt like I was losing a pound of skin. Besides the frustration of nothing working and doctors giving many lotions. I was amazed that after approx four weeks of using the system for a few minutes every other day how fast my skin started clearing. My stomach is almost completely clear just a few patches. My back is clear, and my legs are clear, I am working on my arms as they were very rough looking and very thick with extra skin. My forearms have cleared in just a few weeks. All the support and open arms that is available at UVBioTek is amazing. I think this is the first time in my life that I have had a company care about me and making it better for me and my family. This is one amazing company that really cares about you. You can stop at their Hudson Falls, NY office and everybody is willing to help with a smile and help you through your condition. I wish there were a million thank yous out there that I could give them because for the comfort and healing that they have given to me is amazing. I only wish I knew about this 10 yrs ago when my skin first started with this. I can't thank them enough for everything that they have done for me… I am now sleeping better because my skin is no longer feeling like somebody poured acid on it. I am no longer losing a pound of skin a day. I am very excited about having nobody know that I have psoriasis all over my body because it will be gone. I have enclosed some pictures. This is truly the best treatment for me. I have seen such a difference in my skin within these few weeks this is truly amazing. It amazing from the support to the treatment that has changed my life. I am so thankful for how my skin is clearing and looking better. Physically emotionally I am feeling so much better.
Thank you
Sincerely
April M. *
(The photos she refers to will be posted as soon as I can get some good copies of them.)
* Full contact information withheld to protect the privacy of our customers, but is available upon request; and we thank April for sharing her story with us all!
Tags: biologicals, health insurance, home, insurance, nbUVB, phototherapy, psoriasis, Success stories, UVB, UVBioTek
Posted in Testimonials | 96 Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Here at UVBioTek, one of the most rewarding parts of making & selling our high-quality narrowband phototherapy systems is when we hear back about the results our customers are seeing by using our systems and how they have been affected by getting clear again. Here's a testimonial we recently received:
…My experience with UVBioTek, at every single point of contact was exceptional. Every person I encountered treated me as though my well-being and satisfaction were their primary concern. The entire experience was second only to some experience I had with the Mayo Clinic in terms of level of service. Because a large piece of the consulting work that I do is to help maximize business team effectiveness, I have a fairly good idea of what I'm looking at, and can easily see when a team is working well together. The UVBioTek team is clearly working well together.
I'm thrilled and relieved that UV therapy has been so successful for me, when nothing else had any effect (other than negative side effects.) The unit is extremely easy to use, and takes up remarkably little space. I particularly want to thank you personally for taking me by the hand and helping me navigate the bureaucracy of my health insurance provider. You really went to bat for me and enabled me to get the maximum reimbursement. Thank you so much for all your help.
Gratefully,
Gary S.*
Yes, it really does work, and the chances are good it'll work for you too. Don't put up with it any longer if you can put it into remission and put it away with a UVBioTek home nbUVB phototherapy system of your own. Change your look and you change your life.
* Full contact information withheld to protect the privacy of our customers, but is available upon request; and we thank Gary for letting us share his story!
Tags: health insurance, narrowband, nbUVB, phototherapy, Success stories, UVB, UVBioTek
Posted in Testimonials | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
A recent (1/18/2010) article published in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) showed that the costs of brand-name treatments for psoriasis rose by an average of 66% between 2000 and 2008!
Average annual phototherapy costs ranged from $3,083 to $7,288, while biologic therapies ranged from $18,284 to $27,577 annually.
To put that into perspective, the lowest average amount paid annually for biologic treatments is roughly three times the cost of a 16-lamp UVBioTek home phototherapy system… a one-time expense that provides a lifetime of effective treatments – compared with $20K-$30K every year for biologic therapies.
For those few people for whom phototherapy is ineffective, or just not effective enough, biologics are virtual "miracle drugs" where the benefits almost outweigh the rather sizable risks for internal organ damage, cancer and other systemic side effects. But when phototherapy can be used instead, a home system would save over a quarter of a million dollars for each and every patient after just ten years!!
That article can be found here: Science Daily (1/20/2010)
Interestingly, the Archives of Dermatology has also summarized the very same article, with one notable exception; they removed all references to phototherapy! Ask your dermatologist whose interests they have in mind; your's or their pharmaceutical rep's… These numbers seem to point in the wrong direction.
Tags: biologicals, cancer, medical insurance, narrowband, phototherapy, psoriasis, UVBioTek
Posted in News | 15 Comments »
Friday, January 8th, 2010
According to experts at the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource has announced that psoriasis may be related to arthritis and cardiovascular disease, and that the underlying link between such conditions might be chronic inflammation.
While this may not seem like news, since it has long been suspected that such a connection exists, this is one of the first published articles to make such a direct claim from a scientific view. According to the article, ultraviolet light (UV or UVB) slows the rapid growth of skin cells… sometimes used alone, or in combination with other treatments.
Plenty of UVBioTek customers are able to back up this "discovery", as they have successfully been treating their psoriasis systemically through full body UVB exposure alone.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/01/04/Psoriasis-may-be-a-systemic-disease/UPI-16491262648576/
Tags: arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, mayo clinic, phototherapy, psoriasis, ultraviolet, UVB
Posted in News | 31 Comments »
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
It is all too common for dermatologists to suggest that patients with psoriasis or vitiligo go to tanning salons to see if it helps improve their condition. While this used to be a marginally viable treatment option, very few people see any results today. Unfortunately, their doctors often use the lack of a positive skin response as confirmation that phototherapy is simply ineffective for those patients… which generally leads to the next step; TNF Inhibitors (AKA: "Biologicals" & "Systemics" like Enbrel, Raptiva or Humira). While these truly can be miracle drugs for those with no better option, and whose condition is severe enough to justify the risk for serious adverse side effects, a large percentage who are taking now them would likely see positive results if they were able to use a real phototherapy system.
The reason for this misconception about tanning systems and any therapeutic benefits for treating skin conditions is simple; it used to be somewhat accurate. When tanning salons first became popular, the quality of the lamps used were relatively poor in that they emitted a lot of UVB light with the UVA that’s needed to tan. For this reason, it was not uncommon for users to get burned with tanning systems that had the older lamps. This undesirable side effect for tanning customers was precisely what was beneficial for medical patients.
Today’s higher quality lamps have reduced the amount of UVB produced by tanning systems to virtually nothing – an amount that is almost always far below what’s needed for the desired therapeutic response. The quality of medical UVB lamps has also improved greatly. Today’s Narrowband UVB lamps, in particular, are incredibly precise; they only emit light in the color range that has proved to be the most effective within a few nanometers.
This means the old-school advice for patients to seek medical benefits from commercial tanning systems is flawed. Most dermatologists are probably not aware of this, because most are against tanning at all – whether through commercial tanning systems or simply spending time outside in the Sun.
True phototherapy, like that obtained with medical UVB lighting systems from UVBioTek, is simply too effective for too many people to be so casually written off as "ineffective" before it has even been tried. Patients need to be clear with their doctors about this if they wish to avoid the risks and costs associated with even proper use of TNF Inhibitors. Again, such medications are absolutely critical for many people, but a large number of them could be seeing results from phototherapy that are as good, if not better, than the improvements those drugs have provided.
So, if you have a condition that’s UVB phototherapy-treatable, the only effect you should expect to get from a tanning system is your skin getting darker. If you want your skin to get better, make sure you and your doctor both understand the difference. Remember that your doctor’s interest is always in helping you to get better, they may simply be unaware that it is no longer effective.
While UVB phototherapy will not be the best solution for everybody, it has to be a better solution for a vast number of patients. Make sure both you and your doctor know this before concluding that phototherapy is not effective for your condition… because it usually is.
Tags: biologicals, narrowband, phototherapy, psoraisis, systemics, tanning, TNF Inhibitors, vitiligo
Posted in Basic information | 45 Comments »
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
A relatively new treatment being adopted by many doctors is the 308nm excimer laser; there are several makers, but they all emit the same kind of coherent light. These treatments are seeing a lot of success with vitiligo patients in particular. As with all other medically accepted therapies for such conditions, this is yet another treatment option. It is not a cure, nor is it necessarily the best treatment option for your condition; just another option that will work for some and do little for others.
The 308nm excimer laser is essentially the same sort of device as the lasers used for treating varicose veins, for removing tattoos and hair removal except these emit a much higher frequency light. Treatments must be administered by trained therapists with a handheld ‘gun’. Eye protection and sheilding is a must for both the patient and the operator for the duration of all treatments.
With UVBioTek nbUVB treatments, a therapist usually operates the system for the patient, but there is none of the "hands-on" treatment required when using the excimer laser. The patient simply disrobes and stands within the light for a few minutes every few days. Eye protection is usually only required of the patient.
The treatment process is roughly the same as with hair & tattoo removal. The laser blasts an area of skin about the size of a quarter, depositing a large amount of energy (millijoules) into the skin. Affected areas are treated one quarter-sized spot at a time, usually overlapping them to make sure the entire area is treated.
The laser emission (blast, zap, flash, take your pick) can definitely be felt; it is described as anywhere from barely perceptible (usually by laser manufacturers) to having a rubber band snapped against the skin (often by therapists) to something akin to getting a tattoo (by many patients). Some laser systems even puff some coolant onto the skin just before the light hits to numb the sensation. Since pain can only be measured by the individual, you have to assume that it’s going to feel somewhere in between the extremes, but you also have to assume that you will be feeling it.
UVBioTek narrowband UVB systems are completely pain-free as long as they are used properly; in this case, "properly" really just means "without burning the skin". UVBioTek treatments feel just like standing close to bright flourescent lights for a few minutes every other day (ideally). It is not hot; most people don’t even work up a sweat. The whole body is treated at once.
A round of treatments usually consist of 10 laser sessions covering the entire affected areas, after which patients are told to expect to remain clear anywhere from 4 to 10 months. How long someone remains "clear" is also a relative concept; it really means how long most patients are willing to put up with the progession of their condition before deciding it’s time to pay for and put up with more laser treatments. On average, most people seem to end up needing a round of treatments about once a year… each and every year.
The amount of time required for a patient to get clear in a UVBioTek phototherapy system depends on the severity of their condition, the frequency of the treatments, and the patient’s opinion of what "clear" is. Most patients get 2-3 sessions per week, and it usually takes a few months to start clearing. Once clear, patients usually need two to four sessions per month to maintain it.
While it generally takes less time to get clear using a laser than with a full-body nbUVB system, treatments will be required in perpetuity. Laser treatments are generally more costly than traditional nbUVB sessions. This is primarily because of the amount of time a technician is needed per patient, but also because the equipment itself is much more expensive. For these reasons, there are no home excimer lasers.
Since conditions like psoriasis and vitiligo are chronic and treatments will be needed for the life of the patient, the most cost-effective way to get clear and stay that way is by using a home nbUVB system. Instead of paying for laser treatments each and every year, a UVBioTek home system is a one-time purchase that generally provides effective treatments for the life of the patient.
Most will agree that it’s a lot easier to use their home system for a few minutes every other morning just before hopping in the shower than it is to get up, get dressed, get to the doctor’s office, wait to be called, get undressed, wait for the technician to get started, wait for them to get finished, get dressed again, pay for the privilege, and then drive on your way. When you consider the cost of all the copayments, the time spent, the cost of transportation, and the hassle of it all, the cost and convenience of a home UVBioTek system is worth its weight in gold.
Fortunately, they aren’t nearly that expensive. 
Be aware that it is okay to be persistent with your doctor. Many are simply unaware of phototherapy. Others are downright opposed to it out of misconceptions and misunderstandings. Narrowband phototherapy is non-invasive, doesn’t require additional medications, has virtually no side-effects, is effective for roughly 80% of all patients with nbUVB-treatable conditions, and has an impressive safety record; after almost a century of medically therapeutic phototherapy usage, no link has ever been established between proper use and an increase in the risk for skin cancer.
Whichever therapy you and your doctor decide is best for you, the sooner you can start, the sooner you will get clear. A home UVBioTek system of your own will cost less than just a few rounds of laser treatments, and probably a lot less than you think. Give us a call at 800-UVBIOTEK (800-882-4683) and find out how we can help you deal with your life-long condition… for life.
Tags: excimer laser, healthcare, home, insurance, laser, narrowband, nbUVB, outpatient, phototherapy, psoraisis, ultraviolet, UVB, UVBioTek, vitiligo
Posted in Basic information | 38 Comments »
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Vitamin D is somewhat unique among the vitamins in that it requires exposure to ultraviolet light for the body to properly metabolize. Since people have started spending less and less time outside (and when they are outside they tend to wear sunscreen or stay in the shade), there has been a noticeable increase in Vitamin D deficiencies and related disorders. Insufficient Vitamin D causes problem like ‘rickets’ and aggravates a long list of other health issues.
It was because of this (rickets, specifically) that the US government started mandating that Vitamin D be added to milk and dairy products in the 1930’s, and it virtually eliminated the rickets problem at the time. Vitamin D can also be found in oily fish (cod, salmon, tuna, etc), egg yolk and liver. However, consuming enough dietary Vitamin D does not mean your body has enough of what it needs (the metabolites D2 &/or D3). Also, since it is fat-soluble, there is a chance of consuming too much Vitamin D.
When the body is exposed to ultraviolet light on average for even a few minutes a day, it can convert the dietary Vitamin D to the metabolites that the body can use. There is no chance of overdosing on Vitamin D due to too much exposure to light since the body will only convert as much as it needs and will waste the rest.
The easiest way to make sure that your body has enough Vitamin D is to eat a healthy diet and make sure you expose yourself to UV light in some manner; either outside in sunlight, or by using something like a UVBioTek phototherapy system.
(reference: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)
Tags: narrowband, nbUVB, osteoporosis, phototherapy, rickets, ultraviolet, UVB, Vitamin D
Posted in Basic information | 38 Comments »
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
The use of ‘biological’ medications such as Enbrel, Humira, Raptiva and others have been used to treat psoriasis at a phenomenal rate . In 2008, the entire psoriasis market represented ~$2.5 billion. 55%, or $1.4 billion was spent on biological meds alone.
Aside from the known risks these medications present for cancer and other serious side effects, a large percentage of those patients would likely see better results with phototherapy and without increasing the hazards associated with biological medications. Many patients find that they can get and stay clear with phototherapy alone, without using the expensive and potentially risky biological medications. Sadly, too many dermatologists are prescribing biologicals without ever seeing if phototherapy would be effective first.
The cost of a home narrowband (nbUVB) system is often less than a single month’s worth of biological meds, yet it will provide a time-tested, virtually side-effect free therapy for decades with no additional costs to the patient OR the insurers. Instead, more than half of all the money spent in treating psoriasis is going to the pharmaceutical companies on a regular, routine schedule. This ensures a steady revenue stream, but at the expense of the patient’s best interests.
If just half of the patients who used biological meds in 2008 had instead purchased home nbUVB systems, it could have reduced the overall amount of money spent on psoriasis by a billion dollars annually… while providing more patients with more satisfying, trouble-free results.
(reference: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b8d445/commercial_insight)
Tags: biologicals, cancer, health insurance, home, narrowband, nbUVB, phototherapy, psoraisis, UVB, UVBioTek, vitiligo
Posted in Basic information, News | 9 Comments »
Friday, August 7th, 2009
Phototherapy dosage is based on the skin’s response. The darker the skin, the longer the dosage required. Many people have expressed concern that nbUVB would be less effective for them, because they have particularly dark skin. A study that was released on 08/07/2009 by the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology (IJDVL) offers proof to the contrary.
Out of the 150 patients who were treated twice weekly for a year (every other day is considered the optimal regimen), 99 patients saw repigmentation of 25% or more. The remaining 51 patients did see repigmentation, but less than 25% of their affected areas. As with all other studies conducted to this date, nbUVB was found to be both safe and effective with good to excellent results, and virtually no negative side effects.
The article can be read here: Evaluation of narrow-band UVB phototherapy in 150 patients with vitiligo
Had the subjects been treated at the more medically therapeutic rate of once every two days, the results would likely have been even more positive. It is worth noting that vitiligo is a particularly stigmatizing condition amongst the Indian population. Even worse, there is a higher than average incidence of vitiligo throughout the country. It is often called "white leprosy" and those who have it are treated like ‘lepers’; often prevented from marrying.
Kumar YH, Rao GR, Gopal K, Shanti G, Rao KV. Evaluation of narrow-band UVB phototherapy in 150 patients with vitiligo. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol [serial online] 2009 [cited 2009 Aug 7];75:162-6. Available from: http://www.ijdvl.com/text.asp?2009/75/2/162/48662
Tags: India, Indian, narrowband, phototherapy, repigmentation, vitiligo, white leprosy
Posted in News | 9 Comments »
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Short answer: Not likely.
The American Academy of Dematology recently declared UV light to be a carcinogen. That means they believe that exposure to UV light can lead to an increased risk for cancer. However, this does not mean you will get cancer if you are exposed to UV light. Like so many things, UV light has the potential to increase your risk for cancer when you get more than your skin is capable of handling; this usually results in sunburns of varying degrees of severity.
The more often you get sunburned, and the worse those sunburns are, the greater your risk for skin cancer becomes. Does that mean if you avoid UV light you will not get cancer? Far from it. In fact, there are all kinds of problems that are caused by not getting enough UV light and there are many other things that are known to elevate your cancer risk. The secret is, as with so many things, moderation. Virtually all medications are toxic, if taken in large enough doses. Determining the proper dosage is always a balance between figuring out how much is too much and how much is not enough. If you properly follow the directions, you will receive the benefits. Phototherapy is no different than any other medication in this regard.
When the body is exposed to UV light (like anytime you’re in sunlight) it causes several things to happen. Right away it allows and is required for the body to properly process Vitamin D, which is directly related to bone strength and general health. The next thing that happens is the skin cells near the surface (the ones being most exposed) get irritated by the light and call for something known as "melanin". Melanin is what gives our skin color. The condition that causes a complete lack of melanin is commonly known as "albinism".
The nucleus of our cells contains DNA. If our DNA gets damaged, it can cause unpredictable effects. Usually such damage just causes the cell to die off and be replaced; in fact, this happens all the time. But every so often, and for reasons that nobody fully understands, such cells can become cancerous. In order to protect the nucleus, melanin is delivered to the exposed skin cells and collects above the cell’s nucleus to shield it from the the UV light – just like sunglasses.
The production of melanin in response to UV exposure is a natural, normal, protective process. Tanning does for our body what the ozone layer does for the planet. It shields us from much of the UV light. When you develop a tan, your skin is responding properly to its environment. However, if you get too much UV too quickly, you end up actually killing skin cells; we experience this as a sunburn. Unlike the tan response, a sunburn is not a protective reaction. Instead, it is simply the body’s response to cellular damage.
The proper use of UVB phototherapy calls for regular exposure to slightly less UV than what would cause you to burn. If you are properly following the protocol, you will avoid getting burned.
What that all comes down to is that no link has ever been established between the proper use of UVB phototherapy and an increase in the risk for skin cancer, and that’s over nearly a century of therapeutic usage. It does not stress the internal organs the way many internal medications frequenty do. There is no safer form of therapy.
So the problem does not really appear to be with UV light exposure, but with UV light OVER-exposure. That can subsequently lead to a burn, which can leads to cellular damage, which can lead to cancer. The solution, as with so many things in life, is not to avoid all UV light, but simply to avoid getting burned. That can easily be done by following the standard treatment protocol developed by the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Tags: burn, cancer, carcinogenic, DNA, exposure, melanin, narrowband, nbUVB, phototherapy, ultraviolet, UVB, UVBioTek
Posted in Basic information | 103 Comments »
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