XTRAC® Ultra Laser
Before (top) and After (bottom) 18 XTRAC® Ultra Laser Treatments. Photos courtesy of PhotoMedex.
If you have mild-moderate psoriasis that doesn’t seem to clear with topical medications or if you are currently on systemic therapy and have stubborn plaques that never seem to resolve, we have a laser treatment that can help you achieve clearer skin!
The XTRAC® laser is the first FDA market-cleared excimer laser system, introduced in 2000, to treat plaque psoriasis and is covered under most insurance plans. The laser utilizes narrow-band UVB therapy to the affected areas so we can target psoriasis plaques without harming normal skin. The treatments are quick and painless. Patients clear in as few as 6-15 treatments and some experience remission of their psoriasis for as long as 6 months! Can you imagine clear skin without all the messy topical medications?
Call our office at 847-459-6400 to schedule a visit with our Physician Assistants to see if the XTRAC® laser is the appropriate treatment for you to get control over your psoriasis today!
What is XTRAC® Excimer Laser?
Developed by PhotoMedex, the XTRAC® excimer laser offers new hope to individuals suffering from psoriasis, vitiligo, and other skin conditions. Introduced in 2000, the XTRAC® is the first FDA market-cleared excimer laser system for the treatment of psoriasis. It is also cleared for treatment of vitiligo and atopic dermatitis.
Who is a candidate?
Any patient with mild to moderate psoriasis. This can include patients that have failed topical or systemic medications, or have not been able to achieve total control of their psoriasis with these therapies. Even patients on biologic medications can achieve better control with this laser therapy by clearing those stubborn plaques of psoriasis that don't completely resolve with these drugs.
"Can children be treated?" Absolutely! There is also no pain during the treatment and children will tolerate it well.
What is XTRAC® Excimer Laser like?
The treatment can feel warm at times, but most patients do not feel anything during their treatment. Mineral oil may be applied to the skin prior to treatment to allow the laser to penetrate into the plaques better. A mild sunburn effect may be appreciated 12-24 hours after treatment which can include mild redness, itching or burning, but the symptoms are minimal and tolerable.
How does XTRAC® Excimer Laser work ?
Using a carefully focused beam of laser light delivered through a sophisticated fiber-optic delivery system, the XTRAC® system is designed to clear unsightly psoriatic skin plaques quickly and effectively. Because it concentrates light on active lesions, XTRAC® allows your physician to deliver the high-exposure doses of monochromatic UVB necessary for rapid clearing of the lesion without risk of damage to healthy skin.
What type of equipment is used?
The excimer laser is used to perform the treatments. The laser head has a small spot size that we rest on the skin and move across the areas of affected skin only. Templates may be used to treat very small areas of psoriasis in order to protect normal skin. Mineral oil may be applied to the areas of psoriasis prior to treatment to allow better penetration of the laser.
What desired results can be expected?
The XTRAC
® excimer laser treatment system offers psoriasis sufferers many benefits. Depending on the extent and severity of your psoriasis, these can include:
*Effective clearing - generally in 10 or less brief sessions
* Provides long-lasting relief-typically several months free of symptoms
* Quick, easy, painless treatment-sessions last only a few minutes
* Relief without messy creams and daily skin care regimen
Are there any negatives?
UVB therapy is utilized which can increase risk for non-melanoma skin cancers. However, UVB therapy has been widely used for years to treat psoriasis patients and has great success. Again, with the ability to deliver the energy to small areas we are able to achieve a faster, better result while sparing the unaffected skin. The benefits of the treatment far out way any negatives of the treatment.
What happens after XTRAC® Excimer Laser?
The skin may appear red like a mild sunburn 12-24 hours after treatmenet. Rarely someone may actually develop blisters from the treatment but in clincal studies this equated to a better, faster result for patients.
Is there another way to get the same effect?
Other treatment options for psoriasis include topical medications, systemic medications and even UVB or UVA therapy in a light box that treats the entire body. Each of these treatments has their own side effect profile which can be extensive depending on the treatment.
These treatments will not work the same for everyone and may or may not give the same effect that Xtrac laser provides.
How is this different than other procedures?
The Xtrac excimer laser delivers a more controlled dose of UVB light only to the plaques of psoriasis. Traditional UVB therapy treats the entire body surface area, takes more treatments and requires much longer treatments to achieve clearance of psoriasis plaques.
Some patients need to be in a light box as long as 30 minutes at a time while the Xtrac takes less than ten minutes for a treatment.
We can also treat the scalp with this laser, but traditional light therapy is unable to penetrate into the scalp. Scalp psoriasis can be a very stubborn condition to treat and often requires multiple, messy topical medications which don't necessarily work for everyone.
Can this be combined with other treatments?
Absolutely! This is one of the great things about this laser treatment. We can use it with topical and systemic medications to get a quicker result and often achieve remission times of 3-6 months!
What is the cost of XTRAC® Excimer Laser?
The laser treatment is covered under most insurance plans. A prior authorization will be done prior to starting treatments.
