Having excimer lamp treatment
Excimer lamp treatment for skin conditions
Excimer lamp treatment is a new type of phototherapy, which uses ultraviolet light to treat skin conditions. The treatment targets small areas of skin with a high power, ultraviolet B (UVB) lamp. It has recently been approved for use in the Dowling phototherapy unit at Guy's Hospital.
Preparing for excimer lamp treatment
During your first appointment, we do a test to see how sensitive you are to narrowband UVB phototherapy. We may expose small areas of your skin, about the size of the end of a pencil, to the excimer lamp.
You have a second appointment the next day to get the test results. We use these results to choose a safe and effective amount (dose) of narrowband UVB to start your treatment.
Giving your permission (consent)
We want to involve you in decisions about your care and treatment. If you decide to have excimer lamp treatment, we will ask you to sign a consent form. This says that you understand what is involved and agree to have the treatment.
You can read more about our consent process.
How you have the treatment
You have excimer lamp treatment twice a week. The clinic is currently held on Monday and Friday, but this may change in future. Please check with the phototherapy team.
We treat each area of your affected skin individually. This takes up to 1 minute.
Monitoring your treatment
We ask you to complete a quality of life form:
- before your first treatment session
- at the end of your course of treatment
This helps us to monitor how effective the excimer lamp treatment has been.
We also recommend that you have photographs taken during treatment for your confidential medical records but this is optional.
Practical advice for the day of your treatment
Here are some practical tips for the day of your excimer light treatment:
Do
- Tell your phototherapy nurse if you have started any new medicines or creams while having treatment. These may affect your skin's sensitivity to narrowband UVB phototherapy.
- Use a moisturiser on the days that you do not have treatment. This reduces the chance of your treated skin becoming dry and itchy. Your phototherapy nurse gives you advice about this.
Don't
- Do not wear perfumes, deodorants, aftershave lotions or other cosmetic products, including sunscreens, on the day of your treatment. Some of these products contain substances that make your skin more sensitive to narrowband UVB phototherapy. They may increase your risk of burning. Sunscreens make the treatment less effective. You can put the products on other areas of your body, but not on the areas being treated with the excimer lamp.
Important points before and during your treatment
Here is some important guidance before and during your excimer lamp treatment:
Do
- Come for you appointments regularly and on time to get the most benefit from excimer lamp treatment.
- Protect treated areas from sunlight on bright, sunny days by wearing long sleeves and a hat when you are outdoors.
- Use sunblock (sun protection factor 50) after treatment or on days when you do not have treatment to protect your skin from the sun.
Don't
- Do not use a sunbed. It is important to keep your sunlight exposure to a minimum during your treatment. Otherwise, it is impossible for us to decide what dose of narrowband UVB to use or find the cause of any sunburn.
Follow-up appointments
The aim of excimer lamp treatment is to clear your skin, although it is not successful for everyone. You have follow-up appointments with a doctor after your treatment to monitor your skin's response.
It is difficult to know how long your skin will stay clear after treatment. However, it is likely that you will need more treatment in the future. Your doctor can talk to you about this in more detail.
Resource number: 5486/VER1
Last reviewed: August 2024
Next review due: August 2027
A list of sources is available on request.
