Patients suffering from psoriasis often feel a diminished level in their quality of life. They know that treatments for this condition are difficult to apply, expensive, and frequently ineffective. Oral medicines alone usually have toxic side effects. Topical steroids provide only temporary relief. The condition is not life-threatening, but when patients are embarrassed to be seen in public due to it, they will hunt high and low for a cure. Fortunately, the Psoriasis Treatment Center at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta, originally opened by Dr. Edmond Griffin, brings an option that may benefit all those suffering from psoriasis: the Excimer Laser system, the latest in technology for treating psoriasis.

Unlike other lasers of its kind, the PHAROS EX-308 Excimer Laser uses narrow, concentrated beams of UV light, so that it can treat the specific affected area without affecting other, healthy parts of the body. Because the bandwidth of this laser is so narrow, the Excimer laser can treat more hard-to-reach areas like the hands and feet. The PHAROS EX-308 Excimer Laser can even effectively treat the most hard- to-treat area of the body: the scalp. By applying special oil to the scalp, the PHAROS EX-308 Excimer Laser can target the psoriasis without affecting the surrounding hair! PHAROS EX-308 Excimer Laser treatments only take a couple of minutes and most patients will see an improvement or disappearance of damaged skin after just 6 to 10 treatments; and unlike other Psoriasis treatments, Excimer laser does not carry the drawbacks of premature aging of healthy skin, skin thinning, or resistance to medication.

Psoriasis is a more common condition than one might think – affecting about 7.5 million Americans (according to The National Psoriasis Foundation). The most common form of psoriasis, affecting about 80 percent of patients, is called plaque psoriasis and is characterized by patches of red, inflamed, and slightly raised skin. The affected skin is oftentimes covered with silvery scales and is found most typically around the elbows, knees, and lower back. Other types of psoriasis include Guttate (small red spots on the skin, mostly on the limbs), Inverse (smooth, red patches of skin normally found in skin folds like armpits, around the groin, and under the breasts), pustular (white blisters filled with pus and surrounded by red skin that eventually scales over), and erythrodermic (larger areas of skin covering much of the body that experiences episodes of severe pain, itching, and skin shedding).

Because psoriasis is a chronic condition, patients will never be completely rid of it. However, effective treatments using the PHAROS EX-308 Excimer Laser, like the one available at the Psoriasis Treatment Center at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta, can make the symptoms disappear more completely and for longer periods of time.