As a practice manager, you’ve likely seen a mix of reasons that patients come to you for help. Some seek out skin care treatments because there are social advantages to having “younger” and clearer skin. Others may be driven by medical reasons, or by a desire to feel relief from a skin condition. No matter what the reasoning is, though, your patients are all part of a growing national trend.
More and more patients are looking for ways to invest in their skin and their appearance; and in cases where OTC or prescription treatments have failed, these individuals often turn to treatments and procedures at dermatology practices that will address their skin needs. Because of this, it’s important for practice owners to ensure that they can properly address the conditions their patients want to be treated – such as psoriasis.
Why Patients Would Want Psoriasis Treatments
Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that many patients want to be treated for both cosmetic and medical purposes. Even with efforts to control it, psoriasis is often an overall unsightly and uncomfortable condition to live with.
One of the biggest issues with psoriasis is the fact that the inflammation and excessive skin production caused by the condition often creates unsightly and scaly patches of skin, known as psoriatic plaques. Sufferers often try to hide these patches from friends and family. As a result, psoriasis patients are more likely to isolate themselves and avoid engaging in activities outside of their homes.
In addition to possibly suffering from a range of other physical symptoms during “flare-ups” – where the skin condition becomes even worse due to a trigger of some sort – patients suffering from psoriasis often complain that their psoriasis patches are dry and itchy. In some cases, the condition can even create a build-up of tissue under a patient’s finger- and toenails.
Because of these issues, psoriasis is an example of a skin condition that can be treated for both medical and cosmetic reasons. Medically, it’s advised that patients follow their primary doctors’ advice when managing the condition, as certain things can help to reduce the number of flare-ups a patient experiences. If a flare-up does occur, however, your practice may be able to offer a treatment to make the condition more bearable for the patient.
Considering Psoriasis Treatments For Your Clients
As a result of limitations associated with their use, many psoriasis treatment options have become unappealing to patients. For example, many doctors have treated psoriasis with medications or ointments – a treatment that in some cases proved ineffective, and in others created uncomfortable and unwanted side effects. Some doctors have also offered light therapy as treatment; however, this requires patients to undergo multiple sessions a week for several months, and so does not provide the immediate relief patients need during a flare-up.
Fortunately, advances in medical laser technology have created a new, more appealing psoriasis treatment method. Aerolase lasers, for example, provide 650 Microsecond Technology® laser treatments that have had tremendous success in treating psoriasis plaques. By utilizing 1064nm laser energy via 650-microsecond laser pulses, our lasers have been able to effectively destroy both superficial and deep microvasculature – the tiny blood vessels that contribute to the formation of psoriasis lesions. Patients have even reported improvement in their condition and appearance after just one treatment.
In addition to treating psoriasis effectively, the 650-microsecond pulse technology used in our lasers has proven to be safe on skin tissue, with a minimal risk of overheating, a substantially reduced risk of bruising, and a low risk of pigmentation side effects.
If your practice is currently looking into ways to improve patient treatment capabilities, or into ways to improve your operations and budget overall, we encourage you to consider adding modern treatment capabilities such as the ones highlighted here. Many of the practitioners we have worked with enjoyed adding this service to their business to help struggling patients, and have experienced a boost in revenue thanks to the money-saving benefits of using lasers such as ours. If you’re looking to see more results like these in your clinic, and you are interested in becoming go-to provider in your area known for excellent results, we invite you to contact Aerolase for more information or to arrange a Neo Elite® laser demonstration.
