Photodynamic Treatment - Sun Damage

"Daylight PDT"

Treatment of the red, scaly spots of sun damage (known as actinic keratoses) can be undertaken with a porphyrin cream. The cream is applied by one of our nurses after gentle scrubbing to remove excess scale. The porphyrin ingredient is sensitive to light and selectively accumulates in sun-damaged cells and skin cancer cells. On exposure to daylight, these cells are destroyed. This is known as daylight photodynamic therapy ("daylight PDT"). A UV screening sunblock can be applied as porphyrin only requires visible light for activation, not UV.

In a single application, daylight PDT can achieve a result that can take weeks using other treatments. Generally, we treat the upper half of your face but we can treat a single spot or a small area such as a nose. Sun damaged scalps can also be treated.

Unlike liquid nitrogen treatment, this treatment is more thorough and does not leave you with white spots.

Compared with Efudix cream, there is less downtime and treatment is less likely to result in persisting redness.

There may be reimbursement through private health insurance providers.