The Clinica Laser de la Piel has the only Excimer Laser in Latin America used in the treatment of Psoriasis, Vitiligo, atopic dermatitis and scar re-pigmentation.

The Excimer Laser system is way ahead compared to the traditional methods such as photo therapy or systemic treatments.

If you suffer from one of these skin diseases, we have excellent news, the first Excimer laser for the treatment of these diseases is now in Colombia, so you can have a better quality of life.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by redness, scaly skin, and thickening of the epidermis. In normal skin, keratinosyte of epidermis renew themselves every 28 to 30 days, in skin with psoriasis this happens every 3 to 4 days. According to the latest research, the nature of this disease is of immunological origin produced by inflammation of T cells and excessive reproduction of others.

There is a genetic predisposition, if a patient has a father with psoriasis, the chance of inheriting this disease is 1 to 4, meaning, 25%, while if both parents suffer the disease, the possibility is 1 to 2, or 50%. It is a common disease, 2% of the population is affected.

The quality of life, work and finances of people who suffer psoriasis are affected. It has effects on the family, social life of the patient and on his/her leisure time and sex life, and the physical and emotional well being. The amount of time in the daily care of a patient with psoriasis is from 68 to 89 minutes per day. There are different types of treatments, such as creams, medication and photo therapy or a combination of these. Therapy with creams is generally ineffective and the patient feels uncomfortable applying them permanently. Treatment with medication consists in the application of cyclosporine, metotrexate and acytretin, and although it is effective, it has the following secondary effect: high hepatic toxicity. Most of the patients require liver biopsies which are very expensive.

Up until now the most effective treatment has been photo therapy which consists of subjecting the patient to A and B ultra violet rays, and B narrow band, in which the patient has to have his/her body irradiated in cubicles. Although it is effective in 80% of the cases, these are very long treatments that need about 30-40 sessions in order to control the plaques, besides, it has very short remission times. (times of rest before the manifestations of the disease again.).

Phototherapy, even when it was the most effective treatment for psoriasis, it has secondary effects such as premature ageing, burns on healthy tissue, increases the risk of skin cancer and melanoma and the medication used with the UV rays produces nausea, headaches and dizziness.

Technology has advanced enough to offer a solution to the needs of patients with psoriasis with a medium to moderate extension of this pathology with the only Excimer Laser existing on the market, the Xtrac, which just arrived to the Clínica de Laser de Piel in Bogotá, for localized treatment of psoriasis. It offers multiple advantages, such as the following ones:

		It only treats localized plaques of psoriasis through the optic fiber system.
		Isolates the healthy surrounding tissue from the ultra violet rays UVB reducing the risk of photo ageing and cancer.
		Reduces the number of treatments, because with the laser 6 to 10 sessions are required approximately, although the majority require an average of 6, and there are patients that with 4 sessions achieve the removal of plaques.
		Less number of treatments given its ability to administer high doses specifically to the plaques.

This Laser has been invented by the company PHOTO MEDEX and it is dully registered with approval by the FDA of the United States for the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo and atopic dermatitis. It is an Ecximer Laser. 308 nm: this wave is between the narrow band (UVB) (305-311mm). It is proven to be the most effective wave for Psoriasis treatment. The equipment has an optic fiber capable of liberating high energy doses without compromising the patient’s healthy tissue, it only targets the plaques.

The ideal patients for the psoriasis treatment with laser are the patients that have a coverage of 10 to 20% of the body with slight to moderate and with stable plaques. The treatment is fast, the sessions are between 5 and 10 minutes, painless and does not require anesthesia. The Xtrac Laser provides the patients with a safe and effective treatment compared with the existent ones in the market, which in return gives a better quality of life to the patients.

Vitiligo is a disease characterized by the damage of the pigmented cells of the skin, with a progressive deterioration leading to the loss of melamine and the appearance of non pigmented lesions. It is of slow evolution, months or years, asymptomatic and causes psychological problems due to its anti aesthetic appearance. Generally exists a family history of vitiligo.

There are two classes: the unilateral vitiligo of limited course located in an anatomical zone in one side of the body, and the bilateral in general of progressive course, usually symmetrical on both sides of the body, appearing frequently in the bony and articular zones. Hands and feet do not respond well to medical therapy. It is a common disease in all razes, although it is more visible in persons with darker pigmentation. In general its prevalence is between 1 and 3% in all razes, these numbers vary according to the different regions.

The treatment of vitiligo is difficult and long. As of today only two therapies existed: the medical and the surgical.

The medical therapy has two modalities: the topic and the systemic. The first one is for low extensions of vitiligo using hydro cortisone at 1% in cream, during long periods (except on eye lids), with which a clinical improvement is obtained in a good number of cases. Desonide is a more potent corticoid which can also be used alternating it with hydro cortisone, but you must watch out for secondary effects; betametaso na dipropionato topic is much more potent, and can be used only a few months in refractive areas. Other alternatives are topic kheline at 3%, and 8-mctoxipsoralen in doses diluted at 0.01% with exposure to sun or artificial UVA.

The systemic therapy is with medications of systemic use with proved value such as the 8 metoxipsolar or in its synthetic derivative the trimetilpsoralen, and the 5 metoxipsolaren, with the same potency of the previous ones but with less side effects such as headaches, photo sensibility, nauseas and epigastralgia. These drugs should be used one hour prior to sun ultraviolet exposure. You must be cautious of long sun exposures, to avoid burns due to excess ultra violet radiation.

The easiest lesions to re-pigment are those corresponding to face and neck, then body, hands and thighs, and finally arms, legs, hands and feet, this last ones are very difficult to re-pigment. The treatment is too long and it requires an exposure of several months in order to obtain the desired re-pigmentation, which in the majority of the cases does not reach 75% of the affected areas.

Vitiligo frequently is a frustrating disease for the doctor as well as for the patient, it is long and difficult to manage; however, a good percentage of patients achieve an improvement which can be total in small lesions, or partial and cosmetically acceptable.

The treatment of vitiligo with the ECXIMER LASER system is known for its capability to increase pigmentation when the skin is exposed to the UVB light frequencies produced by the laser.

The UVB Phototherapy (ultraviolet B rays) is the one used the most to treat skin problems such as psoriasis and vitiligo. This laser issues more selective light beams and is approved by the FDA in USA for effective treatments of vitiligo. On the other hand, the ECXIMER LASER is known to increase the skin’s pigmentation when it is exposed to this light frequency.

Those patients diagnosed with vitiligo are considered apt for this treatment.

		Faster partial re-pigmentation of the areas treated, which will make more homogeneous the skin pigmentation becoming an aesthetic improvement.
		Since the light is supplied through optic fiber and it only treats the affected area, it avoids the exposure of the healthy tissue to these rays greatly reducing the risks of photo ageing and skin cancer.
		The results with Ecximer laser in the treatment of vitiligo is highly satisfactory, and the areas with the fastest respond are the face, neck and body.

Other applications of the Excimer Laser Xtrac are for the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis and the pigmentation of hypo pigmented scars.

At the Psoriasis and Vitiligo Center of the Clínica de Láser de Piel, these diseases are studied and treated with the most advanced technology obtaining excellent results.

Additionally, the Clinic has the most varied and best skin laser selection for treatments such as: permanent depilation, removal of artistic and cosmetic tattoos, removal of small veins in face and legs, pigmented lesions (freckles, spots), special treatments for acne scars and facial and body remodeling with combined laser techniques.

¿Which are the most commonly used treatments for patients with Psoriasis?     So far a treatment or combination of treatments has only produced frustration for the doctor and the patient. Usually topic medications and steroids, creating for the patient short periods free of plaques obtained with extensive photo therapy sessions or toxic medication.   ¿ Why is the treatment with Excimer laser different?     The treatment with Excimer laser is ahead of its time from other psoriasis treatments. A carefully light beam is issued through a sophisticated optic fiber system on the skin, the Excimer laser is capable to effective and fast treating visible psoriasis plaques; because it concentrates the beam on the active lesion. The Excimer laser issued strong doses of the necessary exposure producing a fast thinning of the psoriasis plaques without incurring in possible harmful risks on the healthy skin, it only treats the psoriasis plaque.   ¿Which is the patient indicated for this type of treatment?     Those persons with light or moderate psoriasis can obtain relief in little as 4 to 10 short treatment sessions. However, some persons see results as soon as the first treatment.   ¿How long before the new eruption?     Generally several months and it is expected to exceed the six (6) months. Frequently the remission (relief of plaque) last much longer than with the conventional photo therapy treatment.   ¿Can all the body areas be treated?     Yes, thanks to the photic fiber emission system "specific on the site" the Excimer laser can be satisfactorily used in difficult areas of treatment such as knees and elbows.   ¿ Is the treatment with the Excimer Laser safe ?     Yes, the Excimer laser has very few of the secondary effects associated with other treatments for psoriasis such as: premature ageing of the healthy skin, thinning of the skin, resistance to medication, or skin cancer.

It is a disease characterized by the damage to the pigmented cells of the skin, whose progressive deterioration leads to the loss of melanin and the appearance of colorless lesions.

The vitiligo treatment with the Excimer laser system is known for its capability to increase pigmentation when the skin is exposed to the light frequencies produced (UVB).

The UVB photo therapy (ultra violet B rays) is the most commonly used in the treatment of several skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. This laser issues more selective light rays and is approved by the FDA in the United States for the effective treatment of vitiligo. On the other hand, the Excimer laser is known for increasing the pigmentation in the skin when it is exposed to this light frequency.

Everyone.

The sessions are preferable twice per week and they are painless.

Reduces the medication toxicity and only the affected area is treated, avoiding the exposure of zones free of plaque which does happen with the conventional photo therapy, reducing the risks of photo ageing and skin cancer.

The re-pigmentation is much faster and effective than with conventional therapy.

The areas with the fastest respond are the face and body, and the slowest are the hands and feet.