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Tars for psoriasis
| Generic Name | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| Coal tar | Elta Tar (otc), T/Gel (otc), Zetar (otc) |
| Coal tar bath products | Balnetar (otc), Doak Tar Oil (otc), Polytar Bath (otc) |
Tar products that are used to treat psoriasis come in several forms. Coal tar is available as a gel, cream, ointment, liquid, or shampoo. You can get most tar products without a prescription.
Tar therapy usually starts with a product that contains only a small amount of tar. The amount may be increased every few days (unless your symptoms aren't improving or you have side effects).
Tar products may be used with ultraviolet B (UVB) light therapy. This is called Goeckerman treatment. This combination may be given to a person who is in the hospital, usually over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. It may also be given in sessions at a doctor's office, at a psoriasis day care center, or at home. A session usually lasts 8 hours, and 1 to 6 sessions a week are needed.
The Ingram regimen combines bathing with a coal tar product, applying anthralin cream, and getting UVB light therapy. The treatment takes about 3 weeks and can be done in the hospital or in a day treatment program.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: March 31, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology | |
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