Photodynamic Therapy
A Liu - 2007 -

What is phototherapy?

Phototherapy is essentially the usage of light, usually in specific wavelengths, in the treatment of a varied multitude of conditions. This includes the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths of light, and not only the visible spectrum.
Phototherapy has been used to treat various skin-related conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. This is when particular wavelengths of light are used. For example, wavelengths of the visible violet light, (present in sunlight, in the range of 400-420nm) activates a porphyrin (porphyrins are deeply coloured natural dyes – known to exist in red-coloured leaves and in red blood cells. They generally have a deep purple, or dark colour) in Propionibacterium acnes which damages and ultimately kills the bacteria. Or for psoriasis and eczema, where a particular ultraviolet wavelength suppresses the immune system and reduces the inflammatory response. Monochromatic infrared light......

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Title: Photodynamic Therapy
Approximate Word Count: 8561
Approximate Pages: 35 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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