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Dermatology · UK

Phototherapy - medical light, dosed properly.

Narrowband UVB, PUVA and UVA1 for psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo and intractable itch. A consultant dermatologist prescribes the course, every exposure is dose-tracked, and your lifetime UV record travels with you.

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Indicative pricing

What private phototherapy costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across UK dermatology units.

In short

£1,000–£2,200, each visit minutes, not hours.

Treatment Indicative range
Consultant dermatology consultation £200–£350
Narrowband UVB - per session £40–£80
Narrowband UVB - course of 24–30 sessions £1,000–£2,200
PUVA (oral or bath psoralen) - per session £60–£100
MED / test dosing appointment £80–£150
Home NB-UVB unit - setup and supervision guidance £150–£300

Prices vary by clinic, by modality (narrowband UVB, oral or bath PUVA, hand-and-foot units), and by how many sessions your skin needs - vitiligo courses run longer than psoriasis courses. PUVA sits above UVB because of the psoralen and monitoring.

The problem

The right light, the right dose, and a schedule you can actually keep.

Phototherapy fails for practical reasons more than medical ones - long NHS waits, units miles from home, courses abandoned halfway. We fix the logistics so the light can do its work.

  • Is light the right tool at all?

    For some skin, a better cream, a tablet or a biologic beats a light course. A consultant weighs the options before you commit to thirty visits.

  • Match the unit to your life

    Two or three visits a week for weeks only works if the unit is near work or home - or the cabin is in your home. We plan the geography first.

  • Count every joule, for life

    Cumulative UV dose is the long-term safety story. Every session is logged against lifetime limits, and the record follows you between clinics.

When it helps

When phototherapy is the right step.

The conditions we see most, plus the one red flag that means urgent dermatology first - not a light booking.

  • Plaque psoriasis not controlled by creams

    Widespread or stubborn plaques where topicals are failing - narrowband UVB clears or near-clears most patients within a course.

  • Atopic eczema flaring despite treatment

    Moderate-to-severe eczema that keeps breaking through emollients and steroids - NB-UVB calms inflammation and itch.

  • Vitiligo

    Narrowband UVB is the mainstay for repigmenting widespread vitiligo, particularly on the face and trunk. Courses are longer and response is gradual.

  • Intractable itch (pruritus)

    Generalised pruritus - including renal and cholestatic itch - that resists antihistamines and topicals often settles with a UVB course.

  • Polymorphic light eruption

    A spring “hardening” course of low-dose phototherapy before the sunny months can prevent the seasonal rash altogether.

  • Mycosis fungoides (early-stage CTCL)

    PUVA and NB-UVB are established skin-directed treatments for early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, delivered alongside specialist oncology review.

  • Hand and foot dermatoses

    Chronic palmoplantar eczema, pompholyx and palmoplantar psoriasis respond to localised hand-and-foot PUVA or UVB units.

  • Red flag: a changing mole or new skin lesion

    A new, changing or bleeding lesion is not a phototherapy question - it needs urgent dermatology assessment first, and light treatment must wait until it is excluded.

Treatment options

The modality depends on the condition - and on your skin.

What each option involves - waveband (narrowband UVB, UVA with psoralen, UVA1), delivery (whole body, hand-and-foot, home unit) and where each earns its place.

  • Narrowband UVB (TL-01)

    The workhorse. A precise 311–313 nm waveband, no drug needed. First-line light treatment for psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo and pruritus. Two or three sessions a week.

  • Oral PUVA

    Psoralen tablets two hours before UVA exposure. For resistant psoriasis, mycosis fungoides and thick plaques. Needs eye protection for 24 hours after each dose.

  • Bath PUVA

    Psoralen dissolved in a bath before UVA. Avoids nausea and prolonged photosensitivity of tablets - a good option where oral psoralen is poorly tolerated.

  • Hand and foot units

    Localised UVB or PUVA for palms and soles only. Spares the rest of the skin any UV dose - ideal for pompholyx and palmoplantar psoriasis.

  • UVA1

    A longer-wavelength modality available in a handful of specialist centres - used for morphoea, scleroderma-spectrum disease and severe atopic eczema.

  • Home narrowband UVB

    A prescribed home cabin or panel under consultant supervision, with dosing protocols and remote review. Cuts the travel burden of a hospital course.

  • Scalp and targeted devices

    Combs and targeted lamps deliver UVB to localised sites - the scalp, a single stubborn plaque - without treating uninvolved skin.

  • What it is not

    Not photodynamic therapy (which pairs light with a photosensitising cream for sun-damage and some skin cancers), not a tanning bed, and not a SAD lightbox - those use visible light, not medical UV.

Safety and side effects

What to expect through a course - honestly.

Phototherapy is a well-established, drug-sparing treatment. The things worth planning are the dosing, the eye protection, and the lifetime record of every joule your skin receives.

  • No anaesthetic, no needles, no downtime

    You stand in a cabin for seconds to minutes, then leave. The commitment is the schedule - two or three visits a week for several weeks - not the sessions themselves.

  • Redness and burning

    The most common side effect is sunburn-like erythema when a dose steps up too fast. Doses are escalated cautiously and your skin is checked before every exposure.

  • Dryness and itch

    Skin dries out through a course. Liberal emollients - applied after sessions, not immediately before unless advised - keep it comfortable.

  • Cold-sore reactivation

    UV can wake the cold-sore virus. If you are prone, the lips are shielded with sunblock during exposure and antiviral cover can be arranged.

  • Eye protection is non-negotiable

    Goggles in the cabin, always. After oral PUVA, UV-protective glasses for 24 hours because psoralen sensitises the lens - this protects against cataract.

  • Premature skin ageing

    UV is UV: repeated courses contribute to photoageing. Doses are kept to the minimum that controls the disease, and uninvolved sites are shielded.

  • Cumulative skin-cancer risk - tracked for life

    High lifetime PUVA exposure raises skin-cancer risk; NB-UVB risk appears far lower but is still counted. Every session is logged against recognised lifetime limits.

  • Not a tanning treatment

    Phototherapy is a prescribed medical dose of a specific waveband - it is not sunbed use, and sunbeds are never a substitute. Tanning between sessions distorts dosing and adds risk.

  • Red flags during a course

    Blistering burns, severe pain, eye symptoms after PUVA, or a new or changing skin lesion need the phototherapy team the same day - not the next scheduled session.

Reading your treatment record

Your phototherapy record in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever modality you had - narrowband UVB, PUVA or UVA1 - the record the dermatology unit sends you keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant dermatologist reviewing a patient’s phototherapy dose record

A quiet reminder

Dosimetry language is technical and can read coldly - ask your care team to explain it if anything is unclear.

Ask your care team to explain anything that is unclear.

  1. 01 Header

    Diagnosis, modality and skin type

    What was treated and with which light - narrowband UVB, oral or bath PUVA, UVA1 - plus your Fitzpatrick skin type and MED result, which set the starting dose.

  2. 02 Course

    Doses, escalation and any interruptions

    Session-by-session doses, how escalation went, any erythema episodes, missed visits, and the total number of exposures delivered.

  3. 03 Findings

    Response and cumulative dose

    How the skin responded - clearance, partial response, repigmentation - and the cumulative dose from this course added to your lifetime UV record.

  4. 04 Impression

    Maintenance, relapse plan, skin surveillance

    Read this first: what happens if the condition returns, whether maintenance or a further course is sensible, and any skin-cancer surveillance advised.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Phototherapy is usually covered when recommended by a consultant dermatologist for an eligible condition such as psoriasis or eczema. Session limits vary by policy.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about phototherapy.

Quick answers on how it works, session numbers, risks, cost and the home-unit option.

  • What is phototherapy and how does it work?

    Phototherapy is a prescribed course of medical ultraviolet light - most often narrowband UVB, sometimes psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) - delivered in a calibrated cabin under dermatology supervision. The UV calms the overactive immune activity in the skin that drives psoriasis, eczema and related conditions. Each exposure lasts seconds to a few minutes, and the dose is stepped up carefully across the course.

  • Which conditions does phototherapy treat?

    Plaque and guttate psoriasis, moderate-to-severe atopic eczema, vitiligo, generalised itch (pruritus), polymorphic light eruption (as a preventive “hardening” course), early-stage mycosis fungoides, and stubborn hand and foot dermatoses. Your dermatologist confirms it is the right tool before a course is booked.

  • How many sessions will I need?

    A typical course is two or three sessions a week for 15–30 sessions - roughly six to ten weeks. Psoriasis often clears within that window; vitiligo needs longer and responds more gradually. Each visit takes only minutes once you are changed.

  • Is phototherapy the same as a sunbed or a SAD lamp?

    No to both. Sunbeds deliver an uncontrolled mix of UV for tanning and are never a substitute - using them alongside a course distorts your dosing and adds cancer risk. SAD lightboxes use bright visible light with the UV filtered out, for mood, not skin. And phototherapy is also distinct from photodynamic therapy, which pairs light with a photosensitising drug for sun-damage and certain skin cancers.

  • What are the risks?

    Short term: sunburn-like redness, dry itchy skin and occasional cold-sore reactivation. Long term: photoageing and a cumulative skin-cancer risk - clearly established for high lifetime PUVA exposure, much lower for narrowband UVB. Every exposure is logged against recognised lifetime dose limits, and eyes are protected at every session.

  • How much does private phototherapy cost in the UK?

    A consultant dermatology consultation is £200–£350. Narrowband UVB runs £40–£80 per session, so a full course of 24–30 sessions is typically £1,000–£2,200. PUVA is £60–£100 per session. Home NB-UVB setup and supervision guidance is £150–£300.

  • Can I have phototherapy at home?

    Yes, for selected patients. Prescribed home narrowband UVB cabins and panels exist and work well under specialist supervision - with a dosing protocol, a treatment diary and remote consultant review. It suits people who respond to UVB but cannot manage two or three hospital visits a week.

  • Is phototherapy available on the NHS?

    Widely - most NHS dermatology departments run phototherapy units and it is a NICE-recognised treatment for psoriasis. The practical problems are the wait for a dermatology appointment and the travel burden of attending a hospital several times a week for weeks. Going privately typically means assessment within days and a unit or home option chosen around your life.

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