Psoriasis is an inherited skin disorder affecting an estimated 7 million Americans, with approximately 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The disease appears as red, scaly lesions or plaques, and is commonly found on the knees, elbows, trunk and buttocks. Traditional treatments range from topical creams or ointments to oral medications - which must be monitored for systemic side effects - to ultraviolet B (UVB) light box phototherapy - which is time consuming and associated with an increased risk of photo aging and skin cancer.

Light-based technology that has been shown to clear psoriatic skin lesions include the yellow light pulsed dye laser at 585 nm, and the excimer laser - emitting UVB light at 308 nm. Laser and light-based technologies provide non-invasive treatments without systemic side effects. Compared to conventional phototherapy, the psoriatic lesions can be precisely treated with significantly higher doses of light. This results in fewer treatment sessions for disease clearance and eliminates exposure of healthy skin.

With the pulsed dye laser, the abnormal mass of small blood vessels that grow in psoriasis lesions is destroyed. The pulsed dye laser clears psoriatic lesions by selectively destroying the blood vessels responsible for skin inflammation from the inside out, without damaging the surrounding skin. In general, two to six treatment sessions are performed at monthly intervals. Bruising and occasional crusting develops over the treated lesions, lasting approximately one week.