Rutgers Health Dermatology specializes in two procedures that involve the use of light for treating skin diseases: phototherapy and photodynamic therapy.

Phototherapy uses ultraviolet (UV) light to treat disorders such as psoriasis, vitiligo, severe eczema, and the skin cancer known as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Patients come to our office to receive phototherapy treatments (which use narrow-band UVB or PUVA light), usually two or three times per week. Dermatologists generally recommend avoiding exposure to UV light, but these particular skin problems may respond well to light treatments.

Photodynamic therapy uses visible light and is a treatment mostly for pre-cancers of the skin (actinic keratosis). A solution is applied to the skin that makes it extra sensitive to blue-colored light, and we shine blue light on the skin from one to two hours later.

Our physicians, who practice phototherapy and photodynamic therapy, are on the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a part of Rutgers University, one of the top research institutions in America. Our doctors are active in clinical research and in teaching about all aspects of dermatology. Each brings leading-edge knowledge from the classroom to the exam room.

If you or a loved one has skin conditions that may respond well to phototherapy or photodynamic therapy, please make an appointment to visit Rutgers Health Dermatology.