Medcentral: Phototherapy Improves PASI Scores in Skin of Color

Dr. Rachel Day, Chief Medical Officer at Zest Health and board-certified dermatologist specializing in eczema and psoriasis, was interviewed for a MedCentral article about a landmark systematic review that showed how narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is an effective psoriasis treatment for patients with skin of color. 

In her interview, Day notes that this systematic review is an important contribution for patients with psoriasis who have skin of color, which has been a historically underrepresented group in psoriasis trials. She also says that the review also adds to the evidence that phototherapy is a safe and effective treatment option for psoriasis while also dispelling any outdated assumptions that phototherapy is less relevant in non-white populations.

The article does underscore how the duration and intensity of phototherapy needs to be individualized for patients with darker skin tones, who may need higher starting doses. 

Here’s more on why psoriasis and eczema patients are turning to home phototherapy.