Health 101

How to use the Sperti Phototherapy Device

The yellow area of the body is the portion to radiate. Position the Sperti so the red dots line up.

The Sperti device comes with instructions. Please read and follow those instructions.

I position the Sperti so that the vertical midpoint of the bulbs (arrow) aligns with the vertical midpoint of my torso, which is halfway between the bottom of my neck and the top of my thighs. I then do 5 minutes on the front and then 5 minutes on the back, standing 15 inches away from it. And I do this daily. People with fair skin and no tan may need to do less than 5 minutes for a while, and maybe every other day for a while. And if you don't want to bother with those goggles, you can close your eyes and cover them with your hands when irradiating your front. If you instead wear the goggles, also close your eyes.

Once a person has acclimated to the Sperti, if the person has dark toned skin or is very low in D, they may want to do the above twice a day, about 12 hours apart for a few weeks.

And of course you wear no clothes when using the Sperti.

You can obtain a Sperti phototherapy device at
https://www.sperti.com/product/sperti-vitamin-d-light-box
(This is obviously not an affiliate link)

NOTE: Sperti no longer ships to Canada. Canada has adopted some Draconian rules about phototherapy devices. It has nothing to do with the Sperti specifically. A workaround: If you live in Canada, have it shipped to someone in the U.S., and then they ship it to you. It's worth it.

INSTRUCTIONS
(unless you have Type 1 skin*)

FIRST TWO WEEKS:

PLACE SPERTI ACCORDING TO DIAGRAM ABOVE

STAND 15 INCHES AWAY FROM SPERTI, NO CLOSER

USE EVERY OTHER DAY

2.5 MINUTES ON FRONT FOR TWO WEEKS
2.5 MINUTES ON BACK FOR TWO WEEKS

AFTER 2 WEEKS:

USE DAILY

2.5 MINUTES ON FRONT FOR TWO WEEKS
2.5 MINUTES ON BACK FOR TWO WEEKS

AFTER THE ABOVE:

USE DAILY

5 MINUTES ON FRONT
5 MINUTES ON BACK

DON’T LOOK AT THE BULBS!

KEEP EYES CLOSED WHEN FACING SPERTI, EVEN IF WEARING GOGGLES (AND WHEN FACING THE SPERTI, YOU SHOULD BE WEARING THE GOGGLES). WHEN FACING AWAY FROM THE SPERTI, YOU DO NOT NEED GOGGLES OR YOUR EYES CLOSED.

Q: "But the Sperti is so costly!"

A: What's costly is dealing with a life threatening condition (the cost to your emotional health and maybe to your financial health as well), so if you can do something to avoid that scenario, it's a good idea to do so. Think of the expense of a Sperti as an investment in your future health. And it's not like it's an ongoing monthly expense. Those folks who were able to see the wisdom in obtaining one and using it daily have done things to be able to afford it like...

* having a yard sale

* taking out a small personal loan

* put it on their credit card and made minimum payments for a while

* sold blood

* taken a second job to make enough to buy it (then quit)

If you don't like the bell sounding when the timer runs out (not necessary because you're standing right there and can easily tell when the ticking stops), if you're handy, you can take the bottom of the case apart (3 screws) and place a glob of silicon caulk on the bell, and that will muffle it.

If all bulbs don't light up when you first turn it on, this may be because one or more of the bulbs is not properly seated. It's sad that the company doesn't have more diligent workers installing the bulbs. To remedy this, reach through the front silver grill, and with your fingers, turn a bulb a little bit in each direction until you feel it click in place. If a bulb is already seated properly, turning it will be difficult at first, and you will feel it "pop" out of place. Not to worry, just turn it back until it clicks back in place. All bulbs should look the same when all the bulbs are seated properly (the writing on all the bulbs will face you the same way).

Q: "I have been putting the lamp on a counter and my torso is in the light, but should I be moving the lamp, for example, to the floor to get the light to different parts of my body?"

A: I've come to the conclusion from my testing that you just need to cover the torso (on both sides of course). Those who say, "No! You must also get all of your legs because they need vitamin D too!!!" do not have a proper understanding of how the vitamin D+ system works. The skin of the legs and feet will benefit from the UVB light that only hits the torso. There is no need to specifically irradiate the lower legs and feet. And to those who say, "No! You must irradiate as much of the body as possible to be able to make enough D!!!" this is incorrect too. I just do the front and back of my torso, and I am able to get to and stay above 65 ng/mL (which is the "sweet spot", which is 162 nmol/L in Europe).

* Q: I have very fair, Type 1 skin tone, so I don't tan, I burn, and very easily. Can I use the Sperti?

A: If you have red or blonde hair and blue eyes and have Type 1 skin (on the Fitzpatrick scale), Sperti will tell you "no", but I will say the following: Where are fair skinned people supposed to get vitamin D from... supplements? But D supplements only contain D and none of the other equally important "sunshine nutrients". So they must get them from the sun or they'd get very ill and wouldn't live too long. The fact is that people with Type 1 skin produce vitamin D more quickly and with less sun exposure than those with darker skin, so it should be possible to use the Sperti "lightly" and safely. And it is. People with Type 1 skin can safely use UVB phototherapy devices provided the exposure is carefully controlled and tailored to their high sensitivity to UV radiation.

INSTRUCTIONS: If you start by using the Sperti for 3 minutes instead of 5 minutes per side, and stand 20 inches away instead of 15 inches, and start with once a week for a few weeks, and then twice a week for a few weeks, and then every other day from that point on, increasing to 5 minutes for each side, it should be fine. Just monitor your skin looking for any "pinkening" which is an indication of too much UVB exposure. If this happens, wait a week for the skin to recover, then increase the distance to 25 inches.

If you want to know the specific reason why Sperti doesn't recommend their UVB lamp for Type 1 people, read on...

The Sperti Vitamin D Sunlamp is FDA-cleared as a Class II medical device specifically for vitamin D production in the skin, based on a 2009 study published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine. This study tested the lamp's efficacy raising serum vitamin D levels on five healthy adults with Fitzpatrick Skin Types II and III (fair to medium skin that sometimes burns but can tan lightly). No Type I participants were included, so the clearance and labeling are inherently limited to those skin types. Sperti's product page and manual state that the device is "efficacious in increasing 25(OH)D3 levels in healthy adults with Fitzpatrick skin types II and III," directly tying the approval to this evidence. The FDA doesn't explicitly "ban" the device for Type I in clearance documents (it's cleared generally for vitamin D synthesis), but Sperti's labeling restricts it to avoid liability. Providing Type I directions (e.g., ultra-conservative protocols) without new studies could violate FDA rules on unsubstantiated claims or require re-clearance as a new indication. This reads as a classic case of regulatory caution trumping broader accessibility – Sperti wants to sell to as many people as possible, but they can't risk FDA scrutiny or lawsuits from burns in the most vulnerable group. Since I employ common sense, logic, and critical thinking skills, I am able to suggest the above instructions for Type 1 people without the need for further studies. But needless to say – just as with any skin type – use the Sperti at your own risk, and also consider the risk of not using one (of not having your vitamin D level up in that "sweet spot" of 65-70 ng/mL. See my D article for more details.