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Types of Light Therapy · Ultraviolet phototherapy, medical

Narrowband UVB: medical phototherapy.

Narrowband UVB is a medical treatment given under supervision. The firmest evidence in our light therapy guide is for diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo, which is where this treatment sits.

A soft lavender glowing light panel behind sheer white fabric (AI-generated illustration)

In short

  • A 2026 update says it remains first-line for psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, early mycosis fungoides and photodermatoses, on efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness.1
  • Treatment is given under medical supervision with eye protection.2

01

What it is used for

A 2026 update from a group of Latin American and Spanish dermatologists says it remains first-line for psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, early mycosis fungoides and photodermatoses.1

For mycosis fungoides, a Cochrane review notes PUVA is commonly recommended first-line, and found a lack of high-certainty evidence in that field.3

02

A small observational finding

In an observational pilot of 30 patients, mostly with vitiligo, mycosis fungoides and psoriasis, sleep scores improved from a median of 8 to 5 and fatigue from 3.88 to 2.38 after one month, while quality-of-life scores did not change. It cannot show that the light caused the change.2

03

Safety

The update recommends using it within a supervised treatment plan.1

What we could not confirm

The gaps, stated plainly.

  • Whether narrowband UVB has any cosmetic benefit. The sources we read describe disease treatment.
  • Long-term risks in the sources we read. We did not find a figure we could verify, so we state none.

Questions

Common questions.

What is narrowband UVB used for?

A 2026 update says it remains a first-line option for psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, early mycosis fungoides and photodermatoses.1

Is it given at home?

The sources we read describe treatment under medical supervision with eye protection. The 2026 update recommends using it within a supervised treatment plan.12

Keep reading

Back to the full guide: Types of Light Therapy.

More in this guide

Related research

Sources

Where every claim comes from.

Numbers in brackets link to these entries. Journal entries were read as their PubMed record, and study details come from PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine. See every source on the Research Desk, organised by page.

  1. [1] Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas (Carrascosa and colleagues, GEF-CILAD). Narrowband UVB phototherapy in dermatology: GEF-CILAD 2026 update.
  2. [2] Sisli Etfal Hastanesi Tip Bulteni (Kaya and colleagues; pilot study of 30 patients). Effects of phototherapy on sleep, fatigue and quality of life in dermatology patients: a pilot study.
  3. [3] Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Valipour and colleagues). Interventions for mycosis fungoides.

This page is general information drawn from published reviews and studies. It is not medical advice and makes no light therapy claim about any Vanu Health product. The image is an AI-generated illustration, not a study image. Last updated October 30, 2026.