Perhaps you’re wondering what a UVB Narrowband Lamp is and how does it differ from a conventional fluorescent light bulb. Fluorescent lights are coated on the inside with a slurry of chemicals, binders and materials that fluoresce in the presence of an electrical field/plasma. UVB NB phosphors fluoresce at roughty 311 nanometers which we call UVB Narrow Band.
Here’s a brochure from Philips that I’m sure you’ll find interesting: <CLICK HERE>
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. Wikipedia does a much better job of describing fluorescent lights than I ever could. <<Click Here >>
Philips is the sole maker of UVB Narrow Band lamps at this time. Philips lamps with a “/01″ phosphor are the ones you’ll find in the UVB Narrow Band products we sell <<Click Here>>
UVB Narrowband Spectrum
In the graphic to the above, you’ll see two graphs, one depicting the UVB Broadband spectrum and the other is the UVB Narrowband spectrum which is a very narrow group of wavelengths centered around 311 nm, sometimes UVB NB or Narrow Band is called UVB311.
UVB NB or UVB Narrow Band has replaced PUVA and UVB Broadband in the majority of phototherapy applications today.
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Light boxes have become quite popular in the last 10 years or so. However, the proper use of light boxes, especially those that generate UV light, is imperative if one is to avoid sunburn and skin pigmentation. There is even the risk of skin cancer if light boxes are used improperly.
I do take some exception to the statement that there is a risk of cancer. There is a risk of cancer for all of us associated with UV light, even those of us who step outside in the sun from time to time. The thrust of this blog is UVB Narrowband and it really does have an excellent track record for safety, that is not to say that there is zero risk. There is a posting in this blog about safety done a while back.
See http://www.uvbnarrowband.com/index.php/2009/04/uvb-narrowband-safety/
One needs to quantify risk and I would say that the risk of skin-cancer with UVB Narrow Band is very low based on all studies I’ve seen.