Birthmark Removal by Laser Resurfacing

About the Procedure

Birthmarks are skin lesions that you are born with. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Birthmarks are categorized as either vascular or pigmented. Vascular birthmarks are caused by visible collection of blood vessels beneath the skin and are typically red or purple in color and. Examples of vascular birthmarks include port-wine stains or salmon patches. Pigmented birthmarks, such as moles, Cafe au lait and Mongolian spots are caused by an excess of melanin in a concentrated area. Pigmented and raised birthmarks or moles may be better treated by a shave, punch, or surgical excision. Vascular birthmark removal by laser resurfacing aims to improve and diminish the appearance of birthmarks. The laser used will always be a fractional laser which means the energy will be targeted to specific areas of the skin. Depending on the treatment recommended by your skincare professional either a fractional ablative laser or a fractional non-ablative laser will be used. Ablative lasers are more aggressive, penetrating deeper into the skin allowing the lasers to break up pigment and blood vessels, reducing the appearance of the birthmark. Ablative lasers typically require fewer treatments than non-ablative, however recovery time will be greater. The opposite is true with more gentle non-ablative lasers, which require more treatments however will be accompanied by a shorter recovery period.