XTRAC®: How This Painless Light Treatment Can Clear Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin condition, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the skin. That response can cause scaly, red patches lasting for weeks or months.

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, and if you have this illness, XTRAC® light therapy can help. In New York City, Dr. Javier Zelaya and the dedicated staff at Skinworks Dermatology offer this treatment to help patients control their psoriasis.

Facts about psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common autoimmune condition that causes skin inflammation, affecting more than 3% of the US population regardless of race, sex, or age.

When psoriasis flares up, patches develop characterized by rashes, discolored skin, and scaly skin that peels easily. This condition frequently appears on the elbows, face, scalp, genitals, palms, feet, and lower back.

Most people deal with the above, called plaque psoriasis, but this condition has many types, including:

• Inverse: affects skin folds, creating non-scaly, thin plaque patches
• Guttate: follows a strep throat infection with small, red, teardrop-shaped spots
• Pustular: pus-filled bumps appear on psoriatic patches
• Erythrodermic: a severe form that appears on over 90% of your skin
• Sebopsoriasis: features greasy, yellow scales and bumps on your face and scalp

Another type, nail psoriasis, causes skin discoloration and pitting in the fingernails and toenails.

How XTRAC works

At Skinworks Dermatology, our XTRAC psoriasis treatment involves a laser that sends ultraviolet B light into the skin to break down the cells that cause skin plaques. The laser targets only the psoriasis lesions, clearing them without affecting nearby skin. 

You may require multiple sessions to remove your psoriatic patches, but each session only lasts a few minutes. XTRAC light treatment can provide lengthy periods of relief from psoriasis.

What to expect from treatment

Using fiber optics, the XTRAC device sends a focused beam of light to the affected areas of skin. Here’s what you can expect:

• The UVB light stimulates melanocytes deep in your skin to help treat psoriasis
• Pain isn’t typical of the process, but you may feel a warmth similar to a mild sunburn
• Results vary with the type of psoriasis and the severity of the outbreak
• Symptom relief typically takes 6-10 sessions

Remission times vary from patient to patient, but you can expect freedom from these symptoms for several months after treatment.

Psoriasis lacks a cure, but XTRAC can help you manage your flare-ups. To learn more, call the office in Maspeth, Chelsea, or Park Slope, or request your appointment online today.