Home Light Therapy Device

Because of technological advancement, we can get various devices to enhance our beauty and improve our health conditions. Light therapy is one of them.

Light therapy is a method to treat various skin conditions, mental conditions, seasonal affective disorders, etc. It is considered to affect brain chemicals connected to mood and sleep, and can ease SAD symptoms. It may also help with other types of depression, sleep disorders, and other mental health conditions.It is also known as phototherapy.

It works by using artificial lights. Nowadays, it is a very popular therapy to treat your various skin conditions. For this reason, people use this therapy frequently at their home.

Why do people want to take this therapy?

There are lots of reasons that people want to take this therapy. Because of its various advantages, this device is made in a way so that people can use it at home. Reasons to take this therapy:

• Your doctor may suggest it for seasonal affective disorder or another mental health condition.
• This therapy is safe and has almost no side effects.
• If you want to increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medication or mental health counseling (psychotherapy), light therapy is the best method.
• You have to avoid antidepressant medications during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
• It may permit you to take a lower dose of antidepressant medication.
• When you want a less painful therapy for your skin condition.
• You may want to take your therapy at home, and this therapy is very convenient for home.

What is home light therapy?

Light therapy is a device that uses light or other forms of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation in treatment. The light or radiation is made by a medical device commonly known as a lightbox.

The most frequently used medical lamps in phototherapy units release a narrow band of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which decreases or eliminates various skin problems, at least temporarily.

It is a very safe and non-drug option for self-treatment of skin diseases. It is also convenient for patient’s homes. But for beginners, light therapy devices should be controlled and supervised by experts. However, not all dermatologists agree to run the phototherapy at home because of the potential for adverse reactions. Treatment can be delivered to the whole body’s skin, or it can be precisely targeted to affected areas to minimize exposure of uninvolved skin.

Indications for home phototherapy:

Home light therapy is an effective and convenient treatment to improve various skin conditions and other health conditions. The indications are:

• Psoriasis
• Atopic dermatitis/eczema
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis
• Vitiligo
• SAD
• Sleep disorders
• Acne

However, Home therapy is not suitable for all patients. People have to consult with doctors or experts before taking this therapy at home.

Home Light Therapy devices

Home light therapy devices range from hand-held and table-top devices for spot treatment of small areas of affected skin to the cabinet or “walk-in” units for patients requiring full body treatment.

Various well-known brands provide home light therapy devices. Some of them are Daavlin, UVBiotek (Hudson Falls, NY, USA), Solarc Systems Inc (Ontario, Canada), and National Body Corp (Ohio, USA). These are some really good manufacturers of light therapy devices. We can get different versions of light therapy devices to treat various health conditions and skin problems.

For home use, maximum light therapy devices are convenient and easy to use. The size of the device is also very handy. Some devices are so suitable that we can carry those during our travel time. People do not need any extra skills to run these devices. But people have to choose the device according to their conditions. Or else, they will not get the desired result.

Benefits of home phototherapy

• Home tools manage dosage for the patient and prevent unauthorized use.
• Include software for physician control of dosimetry.
• Precise targeting minimizes exposure of uninvolved skin areas and facilitates controlled and rapid treatment.
• Cost-effective.
• Has narrowband UVB, broadband UVB and UVA radiation options.
• Provide high results in less time.
• Using this method is very simple.
• Applicable for almost all body types, skin color, or size.
• Save time.
• The device makes it easier to keep to a treatment schedule.
• It allows patients to go directly from the shower or bath to the lights. This improves the effectiveness of the treatments.

How often are treatments taken?

Psoriasis

Usually, treatments to improve plaque psoriasis are taken 3 to 5 times per week. Your doctor may suggest stopping treatment once the psoriasis is clear or removed. Some patients will continue treatment less commonly during a maintenance regime.

Vitiligo

For vitiligo, you should not take light therapy more than twice a week. Make sure that these two days are not consecutive.

Other skin conditions

Eczema, acne, and other less common skin diseases require doctor guidance for treatment times and duration.

How much time needs to get the result? 

It varies from person to person and their skin conditions. For example: in psoriasis, naturally, it takes ten treatments. On the other hand, in vitiligo, people need a minimum of 30 treatments.

Do you Need a Doctor’s Approval?

Yes, like other medicines and medical processes, light therapy methods also need doctor’s approval. Only a doctor can give you the right advice on which device is suitable for your skin.

Safety of home phototherapy

Home light therapy is potentially risky, as UV radiation damages the skin and can create severe burns (like sunburn). Extreme exposure to UV radiation may also lead to long-term skin aging and skin cancer such as melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC),  basal cell carcinoma (BCC), etc. Burning is a very common symptom of this device.

Home light therapy can be safe and secure if dosing is carefully controlled.

Safety features in newer home phototherapy devices are:

• a key-locked ON/OFF switch to stop unauthorized use
• a built-in controlled prescription timer (CPT) that confirm that the device can only be used for a certain number of treatments as prescribed by the doctor between office visits
• a fail-safe feature that disables the unit in the event of malfunction.

Such creations make home phototherapy a perfect option for many patients. Response to treatment and unpleasant events must be observed carefully by your doctor.

Lastly, we can say that the home lightbox device is a very handy product. We can buy different lightboxes, which has made the light therapy process more accessible and more comfortable.