UVB is ultraviolet radiation that is used to treat many different skin conditions, most commonly psoriasis. One to two days after treatment, the skin becomes red. Light treatment is given two to three times per week for 12-15 weeks. After 15 weeks, maintenance therapy is often required once a week.

 

A typical UVB session consists of coming into the office, removing clothes to expose the affected body areas and standing in a five-foot square by seven-foot high light box. The lights are then turned on for one to ten minutes. The length of each session is increased by a small amount over the previous session. One must wear protective goggles and groin protection (underwear or towel) while in the light box. Patients must wear UV-absorbing, wrap-around sunglasses for twenty-four hours following a UVB treatment. These glasses must be worn outside and indoors if any sunlight is coming into the room through a glass window. You must also avoid sunlight on the skin for 24 hours after a UVB treatment.