If both use NB-UVB, what actually changes?
The light may be from the same treatment category, but the experience is not the same. The setting changes who operates and checks the equipment. It also changes who is present, how records are kept, and where you get help. Neither setting is automatically suitable just because both can use NB-UVB. Evidence
Why this matters
- Sources cited, not yet graded
People I have heard from reduce it to one question: clinic or home unit? The guideline I read describes both supervised clinic services and home programs for selected patients. In either setting, your diagnosis, treatment plan, safety boundaries, and follow-up stay with a qualified clinical team.
Considerations
- Depends on you
Home programs differ in training, follow-up, equipment, availability, and insurance coverage. Compare the actual clinic and home programs available to you.
Questions for your care team or insurer
If I choose home treatment, what would I be responsible for?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.How would follow-up and equipment checks work in each setting?
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In a clinic
- Staff operate the equipment and are present during treatment
- Scheduled appointments, travel, parking or transit fit into your week
- You still need to know who to contact between visits
At home
- You follow the exact device instructions yourself
- Fewer routine clinic trips, but more setup and equipment duties
- You manage protective equipment, records, delivery and storage
What would clinic treatment be like in my week?
At a clinic, the service operates the equipment and staff are present during treatment. That can make it easier to get help during a visit. It also means fitting scheduled appointments, travel, parking or transit, and time away from work, school, or caregiving into your week. Evidence Evidence
Why this matters
- Sources cited, not yet graded
The clinic is responsible for its equipment, staffing, and operating procedures. You still need to know whom to contact between visits and how to report reactions, medicine changes, missed visits, or other concerns.
Considerations
- Depends on you
A clinic setting does not guarantee a particular result, insurance payment, easy access, or the same level of support everywhere. Only the local service can tell you what its schedule, staffing, and costs would mean for you.
Questions for your care team or insurer
Who answers questions between clinic visits?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.How often would I need to travel here, and how flexible is scheduling?
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What would I be taking on at home?
Home treatment can remove repeated clinic trips, but more of the routine moves to you. You may need a suitable space and must follow the exact device instructions. You may also manage protective equipment, records, and concerns. Know which clinical or device-support team to contact. Greater convenience does not mean lower risk or better results. Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence
Why this matters
- Sources cited, not yet graded
I bought a panel for my house, and then I was alone with it and no protocol sheet. I burned myself more than once. A home program still depends on prescribing, training, follow-up, and clear routes for clinical and equipment concerns. Owning or keeping a device at home can also mean managing delivery, storage, household access, and manufacturer support.
Considerations
- Depends on you
The responsibilities differ by device and program. A manufacturer can explain its product and support model, but that does not establish that the program is better than another option or right for you.
Questions for your care team or insurer
What will I be taught before I use the device at home?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.Who do I contact about a skin reaction?
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How do I decide which setting fits my life?
Compare the parts that affect your life. These include support, travel, scheduling, space, equipment duties, follow-up, your total cost, and what happens when you need help. You can also choose another treatment or no active treatment for now. Evidence Evidence Evidence
Why this matters
- Sources cited, not yet graded
The vitiligo guidance I read treats your goals, the pattern and activity of vitiligo, prior care, access, and personal priorities as part of shared decision-making. Availability and payment differ by setting, so check where you live.
Considerations
- Depends on you
A general comparison cannot predict your coverage, final cost, response, or which burden will matter most to you. Quotes and benefit information can change.
Questions for your care team or insurer
Why might one setting fit my goals better?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.Which practical details do I still need to confirm?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.What other options should I consider if neither setting works for me?
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Now compare the two settings
Put your real cash and time burden beside the trade-offs
First compare supervision, travel, space, and responsibility. Then use the calculator - have your clinic schedule, a supplier quote, and your written insurance estimate ready.
Cost and time planner
Compare home and clinic with your numbers
Work through what you know now. You can leave optional costs blank and return when you have a written quote or coverage estimate.
Calculator ready.
Fictional worked example · estimates only
Estimated cash across this example course
Clinic $4,824 · Home $3,550
These totals show what the calculator does with one made-up set of costs. They are not a quote, a recommended schedule, or a reason to choose one setting.
| Setting | Estimated cash | Travel and visit time |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic | $4,824 | 108 hours |
| Home | $3,550 | 6 hours |
Home time includes only travel and visit time for follow-up. The optional value of time is kept separate from cash.
What this example does not account for
- deductibles, plan limits, or costs not entered;
- drug costs or the clinical value of in-person supervision;
- time using a home device, because that depends on the device and your plan;
- changes to quotes, coverage, travel, follow-up, or supplies.
Assumptions used in the worked example
This made-up example uses a fictional course only to show the cost math. It does not publish or recommend a treatment schedule. Use only the plan your care team gives you.
Ask your care team- Clinic: $40 per visit, $8 for each round trip, 12.5 miles and 25 minutes each way, plus 40 minutes at the clinic.
- Home: a fictional $3,200 cash quote, no expected insurance payment, $150 in supplies, and four follow-up visits at $50 each.
- Driving uses the editable $0.76-per-mile full vehicle-cost allowance, sourced from the IRS and effective 2026-07-01.
- An optional $25 hourly value is shown separately and never added to cash.
What if I later switch settings or devices?
Do not carry instructions from one clinic or device to another on your own. Ask your team for an updated plan before changing the setting, device, lamp, or clinical team. Do the same after an interruption. Use current instructions for the exact equipment. Evidence Evidence Evidence
Why this matters
- Sources cited, not yet graded
Devices and services can differ in controls, protective equipment, training, and support. A useful handoff includes what was prescribed, what actually happened, what you observed, and the exact device used.
Considerations
- Depends on you
Ask the treating team whether the old plan still applies and for instructions that match the new equipment. Manufacturer support can explain the device, but the prescriber remains responsible for the treatment plan.
Questions for your care team or insurer
Before I switch, what needs to be reviewed or rewritten?
Saving keeps this on your device and needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser.What records should I bring to the new clinic or home program?
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Evidence behind this page
Sources
Each evidence badge opens the source and its limits. The full list stays available here.
- Phothera PhototherapyManufacturer document · Manufacturer, tier 4Independence not established
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports the current first-party route to Phothera device and accessory manuals and shows that instructions are model- and controller-specific.
What it does not support
It does not establish clinical suitability, comparative benefit, the condition of an individual unit, or that one manual applies to a related or legacy model; each exact linked manual and revision still requires verification.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- Solarc Systems Inc.Manufacturer document · Manufacturer, tier 4Independence not established
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports one page of the named SolRx E-Series manual revision, its specifications page. That page carries the models covered, the narrowband waveband, the bulb type and count, the nominal irradiance figures with their stated caution, and the per-device electrical and fuse ratings. It does not support another SolRx family, confirm that this is the newest revision for an individual unit, establish clinical suitability, or prove comparative safety or effectiveness; the owner must verify the exact current manual with Solarc.
What it does not support
The linked file is that one page, not the whole manual. It does not carry the installation, protective-equipment, maintenance or support sections that the rest of the manual holds.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- Zerigo Health, Inc.Manufacturer document · Manufacturer, tier 4Independence not established
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports Zerigo’s current first-party description of its United States prescription device, required mobile application, Member Guide, Care Guide support, data-enabled service model, transfer restrictions, and distinction between technical support and medical advice.
What it does not support
It does not independently establish comparative benefit, coverage, privacy quality, clinical suitability, or that the program terms will remain unchanged.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and VenereologyGuideline · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Relevant relationship disclosed
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
Why the independence label says this: The journal is the publisher. This label refers to extensive author relationships disclosed for the recommendation, not to the journal itself.
What this source supports
It supports current expert-consensus terminology, clinical assessment, disease-activity evaluation, treatment-goal discussion, and shared decision-making. Its modified assessment check list names where the patches are as a disease feature, and gives genital involvement as its own example. It records white hairs as an item of its own, apart from what the vitiligo has done in the past six months. Its classification table keeps mucosal vitiligo as a subtype, both across more than one site and at one site alone. It supports planning care around what is there to work with, and its example is hair that still has its color. It names stable vitiligo and active vitiligo as two different states that change the care plan. Its shared-decision steps ask what the patient wants from care. At the time it was written, one cream form of a newer drug type had just been approved. Pill forms of that same drug type were still being studied.
What it does not support
It is not independent comparative proof. It cannot diagnose a reader from a description or photograph. It gives no figure for genital involvement, and it does not name lichen sclerosus. It does not set out the Vitiligo European Task Force grading scale. It puts no figure on white hairs and predicts nothing for one person.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- British Journal of Dermatology (Eleftheriadou V, et al.)Guideline · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
Supports the clinical history and assessment domains, evaluation of associated autoimmune conditions, its recommendation for thyroid function and antithyroid antibody screening, current classification context, treatment-option map, psychosocial assessment, medical photography and the limits of pediatric evidence. Its classification table defines mucosal vitiligo as the oral or genital mucosae. One mucosal site alone is filed as undetermined or unclassified. Its differential diagnosis table lists genital or extragenital lichen sclerosus among the conditions that can be mistaken for vitiligo. That table also lists eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, pityriasis alba and piebaldism. It calls autoimmunity a contributor to the pathogenesis of vitiligo. It reports an earlier review finding a possible negative impact on intimacy and sexual functioning. It tells clinicians to discuss the psychosocial impact of living with the condition. R28 offers a skin camouflage visit to people who want one. R10 to R14 name potent or very potent topical steroids as the first choice, with a topical calcineurin-inhibitor cream as an option for the face. These are different creams with different proof behind them. R20 names narrowband UVB as the first light option. It says the skin often does better on the face and trunk than on hands and feet. It says there is not enough proof to use any one current pill alone for vitiligo that is not changing. R25 and Table 2 keep cell grafting for vitiligo that is not changing and did not respond to other care. They also say a doctor cannot always tell if the vitiligo has truly stopped changing.
What it does not support
It was designed for UK care and reviewed literature through May 2019; it does not establish a universal testing plan, prescribe an individual plan, or establish current US labeling or coverage. Its differential diagnosis table is a list, not a method a reader can apply to their own skin. It does not say how to tell any two of those conditions apart. It gives no figure for how often vitiligo affects genital skin.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- British Journal of Dermatology (Goulden V, et al.)Guideline · Regulatory / guideline, tier 1Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
It supports that traditional NB-UVB fluorescent lamps emit a narrow UVB band peaking around 311 nanometres. It backs wearing UV-protective goggles and keeping UV scatter off people nearby. It records the consent form naming goggles and the same clothing at each session. It also covers clinical uses, how it compares with other light treatments, safety limits including sunburn-type reactions, and the added safeguards home phototherapy needs.
What it does not support
It does not provide a personal treatment plan, approve a particular home setup, or replace the instructions for your own device. SteadySkin never reproduces its treatment schedules.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.
- British Association of DermatologistsPatient education · Patient education, tier 5Independent source
- Published
- SteadySkin last checked
What this source can and cannot tell you
What this source supports
It supports a plain-language explanation that NB-UVB uses a small part of the UVB spectrum, is used for conditions including psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo, and is distinct from sunlight or a sunbed. It also supports what a unit asks of its own patients during a course. It asks them not to sunbathe or use a sunbed for the whole of it, and to reduce sun exposure so that skin does not burn. It asks them to report a medicine, a cream, or newly exposed skin such as a haircut. It asks them to arrive without perfume, deodorant, aftershave or other cosmetics, because some of those raise light sensitivity and can leave patchy discolouration for months. It carries the unit’s own account of repeated courses. It states that the full risk of narrowband UVB is not known, and that roughly one in ten people in the UK develop skin cancer. It states that a review becomes usual practice past a stated number of treatments, and that many treatments can bring the wrinkling and discolouration of photoageing.
What it does not support
It is patient education, not primary evidence for an efficacy claim. Its printed next review date was June 2025 and it has not been updated since June 2022. It is therefore used only for what it plainly states, and never as current guidance. It is written for a UK hospital unit whose nurses examine skin at every visit, so it sets no rule for a device used at home. Its numbers stay in this record rather than in the copy. Those are the sun protection factor and star rating it names, the hours it names, the treatment count that triggers a review, and the multiple by which it estimates lifetime risk. That multiple is stated there as an assumption that narrowband UVB behaves like sunlight, not as a measurement.
Claim-specific review for this source is still in progress. Only the source-level evidence and limits are shown here.