UVB vs. Topical Steroids - Safety

There is no "Withdrawal Syndrome" ("Rebound Syndrome"), "Addiction Syndrome" or "Tachyphylaxis" with UVB like there is with topical steroids and some other psoriasis medications.

"Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome" is a horrible thing. Soon after you stop using the topical steroid - your psoriasis fiercely fires back. It may obtain a much larger extent than before or it may even transform to a much worse psoriasis type. Say you had a plaque or a guttate psoriasis - the "Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome" may cause the development of the Erythrodermic or a Pustular Psoriasis!

"Steroid Addiction Syndrome" is yet another horrible thing. You can not stop using the topical steroid anymore... As soon as you try to - your psoriasis fires back!

"Tachyphylaxis" is the acute development of tolerance to the action of a drug after repeated doses. This means that after a while this low-potent topical steroid will stop working on your psoriasis. You will then be prescribed a more potent steroid.

This will become a vicious circle.

The other thing is that topical steroids often cause a skin atrophy on the spots where they were used for a long time...

What about UVB? None of the above horrors! There is no "Withdrawal Syndrome", "Addiction Syndrome" or "Tachyphylaxis" with UVB.

UVB will work again for your psoriasis treatment after a few months of a break.

It will work again and again each time.

There will be no flare-up etc. (unless you do not obey the timing guidelines and severely burn your skin).