Excimer Laser

What is an excimer laser?

An excimer laser is an ultraviolet (UV) laser that uses a combination of noble gas and reactive gas to help treat skin conditions without harming healthy skin around them. At Adaeze Egesi, MD, Dr. Egesi administers the laser with handheld laser wands, targeting specific problem areas with the ability to reach parts of your body that are otherwise difficult to treat, such as your elbows, knees, palms of your hands, soles of your feet, and scalp. 

Due to its targeted nature, excimer laser treatments provide benefits that contrast with other light therapy options, like fewer sessions with stronger doses of light that can reach deeper into your affected skin. 

What does an excimer laser treat?

At Adaeze Egesi, MD, Dr. Egesi uses an excimer laser to treat skin conditions such as:

Psoriasis

Psoriasis causes red, itchy, and scaly patches to form on your skin. This condition varies in location, shape, and pattern on your skin. Excimer laser treatments can relieve uncomfortable psoriasis symptoms and clear up red patches on your lower back, elbows, knees, legs, soles of your feet, scalp, face, and palms.

Eczema

Eczema is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes dry and itchy skin. This typically progresses to rashes, scaly patches, blisters, and sometimes skin infections. Eczema typically develops due to an overactive immune system where your immune cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells. Excimer laser treatments eliminate these overactive cells to reduce inflammation. 

Vitiligo

This disease causes your skin to lose its pigment cells and results in loss of skin color in blotches. This can affect any part of your body and occurs when the cells that produce melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin its color, die or stop functioning. Excimer lasers effectively target pigmented parts of your skin, spreading and diffusing the repigmentation pattern. 

Because excimer lasers aim a high-intensity ultraviolet B light dose directly at your skin, it avoids touching the unaffected skin around the treatment area. This reduces your risk of harmful UV radiation exposure and premature skin aging or carcinogenesis that can occur with other UV light treatments. 

How do excimer laser treatments work?

When you come into Adaeze Egesi, MD, Dr. Egesi discusses your medical history and symptoms with you. After evaluating the affected areas of your skin and determining the cause for treatment, she explains the procedure to you, ensuring you feel as comfortable as possible.

To begin your laser treatment, she provides you with protective eyewear to wear while receiving the treatment. She then aims the laser directly at the affected parts of your skin. 

You may feel slight warmth at the site of the laser; however, you should not experience pain or discomfort.

Depending on where you’re receiving the treatment, the procedure should only take a few minutes to half an hour. Dr. Egesi creates a treatment plan to help you achieve the best results, typically consisting of cycle treatments twice a week for a few months. 

To learn more about excimer laser treatment, call Adaeze Egesi, MD, or use the online booking tool to schedule an appointment.