Laser Birthmark Removal & Reduction

Say bye-bye to vascular and pigmented birthmarks and hello to a beautiful new self-confidence.

Hemangiomas can be Removed with Laser Treatment

Hemangiomas are raised, rough, blue, red, or purple birthmarks made of clumps of tangled micro-blood vessels that did not grow normally.

Hemangiomas in the skin may appear anywhere on the body in many shapes, sizes and thicknesses, and can also occur deeper in the body affecting internal organs. They are most commonly found on the face, scalp, back and chest. They usually disappear by the age of nine. Some slight discoloration or acne-like pockmarks may remain at the site of the lesion.

Some hemangiomas are quite thick, penetrating more deeply into the skin, and often appear like raised spongy masses filled with blood. While most of these lesions will disappear on their own, some may remain throughout life.

We have successfully removed many hemangioma birthmarks with our laser protocols.

Port-wine Stains can be Removed with Laser Treatment

Port-wine stains are typically dark red-purple. They’re made of a tangle of micro-blood-vessels near the surface of the skin, which did not grow normally. They range in size from a small coin to covering a large area of the body and are usually flat and smooth.

Laser birthmark removal is very effective on port-wine-stain birthmarks.
This patient is approximately half way through his series of laser treatments to remove a large port wine stain birthmark on the right side of his face.

Salmon Patches (Also Called ‘Stork Bites,’ ‘Angel Kisses’ and ‘Macular Stains’) can be Removed with Laser Treatment

Salmon patches are thin, flat, light pink or red birthmarks. Typically, they appear on the back of the neck, the upper lip, between the eyebrows and on the upper eyelid.

Their red appearance is caused by an abnormal grouping of tiny micro-blood-vessels (capillaries), occurring near the skin’s surface.

Removal of salmon batch birthmarks with lasers is a piece of cake.

Laser Birthmark Removal FAQs

A. Yes! In fact, these are the most common type of birthmark that we treat. Depending on the coloration of the patient’s skin, typically 3 to 5 treatments are needed to get fantastic results.

A. Yes! The laser will help to remove the pigment from the skin. Exactly how many laser treatments will be needed to fully remove it will depend on the depth of the birthmark.

A. Most nevus spills birthmark have 2 components to them. Pigmentation (why it’s dark in color) and it may also be raised (papule).

The pigmentation is best treated with lasers that are target specific for melanin. Melanin is the pigment generated by your skin. These lasers would have a frequency of either 532 nm (KTP) or 1064 nm (NdYag). Each comes in three different pulse durations, long pulse, Q Switched and Pico. All nevi are an anomaly so it is difficult to predict which of these lasers would be the most effective. It is even quite possible that a combination of these lasers would produce the best result.

For the raised part of the nevus, the Erbium laser is best as it can precisely ablate (vaporize) the raised tissue. A CO2 laser can also be used for ablation although it is not as precise as the Erbium.

A. What you are describing is a vascular birthmark. Yes, laser birthmark removal will work on this type of birthmark. Vascular birthmarks respond best when more than one laser is used in a multiple-modality protocol. In order to completely remove this type of birthmark 4 to 8 laser treatments are typically needed. The reason being is that birthmarks can vary greatly in depth as well as the complexity of their internal structure.
A. Yes. Cost is based on the time we spend on the treatments. Smaller lesions require less time to treat and therefore cost less.
A. Yes! When a laser protocol is appropriately customized, nearly every type of birthmark from anywhere on the body can be successfully removed. How many treatments will be needed depends on the type of birthmark. Whether it is comprised of pigment, or melanin, and is brown or blood vessels and is red.

A.What you are describing is an area of skin that has less natural pigment than the skin around it. There are two possible causes of this. First, the patch of white skin has fewer melanin producing cells (melanocytes) than the skin around it. Second, the patch of whit skin has a group of melanocytes that have been programmed to produce less melanin than the skin around it. This is very similar to a person who has a white patch of hair surrounded by dark hair.

Whichever the cause, the focus of treatment will be to get the white patch of skin to start producing more melanin. This will help to blend the white patch of skin with the skin around it. Unfortunately, these types of treatment are not “sure-fire” methods and work only about 50% of the time. Micro-needling would be the “low-tech” method. The use of an Excimer laser would be the “high-tech” method.

The white patch of skin could also be a case of Vitiligo so it is important to carefully access the skin to determine the exact cause.

A.It sounds like you have the NF1 version of the disease. 

What I can tell you is that our laser protocols for Cafe au lait spots are very effective.  In fact, we have nearly a 100% success rate in making them disappear.   The issue with you is whether or not the results will be permanent.  Unfortunately there simply is not enough clinical data on treating your spots to know how permanent the treatments will be.

The other issue is that your condition typically continues to generate new Cafe au lait spots.  So even if our laser protocols succeed in achieving permanent results, other spots will continue to appear, and you will need to return for ongoing treatments indefinitely. 

I wish I had more concrete answers for you.  There is so much we don’t know.  What we do know is that we would be honored to care for you if you chose to proceed.  And, as no one has ever figured out how to provide a permanent relief from the spots of Neurofibromatosis, we would be privileged to learn about your disease and how to effectively treat its associated spots. 

A.Every birthmark is unique. Aside from size variances, some birthmarks are primarily a pigmentation issue, some are primarily a vascular issue, and others may be a skin malformation with pigmentation and vascular anomalies.

As a result, it is impossible to determine how much birthmark removal will cost until we have thoroughly examined the birthmark in question. A few clear images taken from various angles with appropriate lighting may sometimes provide us with enough information to provide pricing for a long-distance patient.

Learn More About Our Laser Treatments

Everything on our website comes from from reputable publications, books and scientific journals, most of which are available on PubMed and other government websites. These include Meta-Analysis’, Randomized Controlled Trials, Clinical Trials, Systematic Reviews, Books and Documents. We encourage you to read the science, in order to separate fact from fiction, so that you can arrive at a full understanding of what is best for your skin. We would be honored to be a part of that educational journey with you.

  1. Mahajan P, Bergstrom KL, Phung TL, Metry DW. The genetics of vascular birthmarks. Clin Dermatol. 2022 Jul-Aug;40(4):313-321. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2022.02.006. Epub 2022 Feb 16. PMID: 35181412.
  2. Artzi O, Mehrabi JN, Koren A, Niv R, Lapidoth M, Levi A. Picosecond 532-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser-a novel and promising modality for the treatment of café-au-lait macules. Lasers Med Sci. 2018 May;33(4):693-697. doi: 10.1007/s10103-017-2373-9. Epub 2017 Nov 2. PMID: 29098459.
  3. Cen Q, Gu Y, Luo L, Shang Y, Rao Y, Zhu J, Han Y, Yu W, Liu Y, Wu X, Ying H, Ma G, Lin X. Comparative Effectiveness of 755-nm Picosecond Laser, 755- and 532-nm Nanosecond Lasers for Treatment of Café-au-Lait Macules (CALMs): A Randomized, Split-Lesion Clinical Trial. Lasers Surg Med. 2021 Apr;53(4):435-442. doi: 10.1002/lsm.23316. Epub 2020 Sep 8. PMID: 32896932.
  4. Sabeti S, Ball KL, Burkhart C, Eichenfield L, Fernandez Faith E, Frieden IJ, Geronemus R, Gupta D, Krakowski AC, Levy ML, Metry D, Nelson JS, Tollefson MM, Kelly KM. Consensus Statement for the Management and Treatment of Port-Wine Birthmarks in Sturge-Weber Syndrome. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Jan 1;157(1):98-104. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.4226. PMID: 33175124; PMCID: PMC8547264.
  5. Remlova E, Dostalová T, Michalusová I, Vránová J, Navrátil L, Rosina J. Hemangioma curative effect of PDL, alexandrite, Er:YAG and CO(2) lasers. Photomed Laser Surg. 2011 Dec;29(12):815-25. doi: 10.1089/pho.2011.3058. Epub 2011 Jul 27. PMID: 21793735.
  6. Achavanuntakul P, Manuskiatti W, Wanitphakdeedecha R, Jantarakolica T. Early Treatment Initiation Improves Outcomes in Nevus of Ota: A 10-Year Retrospective Study. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2022 Jan;23(1):105-114. doi: 10.1007/s40257-021-00637-0. Epub 2021 Oct 24. PMID: 34693508.
  7. Faurschou A, Olesen AB, Leonardi-Bee J, Haedersdal M. Lasers or light sources for treating port-wine stains. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Nov 9;(11):CD007152. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007152.pub2. PMID: 22071834.
  8. DeHart AN, Richter GT. Laser Treatment of Vascular Anomalies. Dermatol Clin. 2022 Oct;40(4):481-487. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2022.06.002. Epub 2022 Sep 16. PMID: 36243435.
  9. Sakhiya J, Sakhiya D, Patel M, Daruwala F. Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevi Successfully Treated with Combined Laser Therapy. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2020 Jan 13;11(1):79-82. doi: 10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_107_19. PMID: 32055515; PMCID: PMC7001409.
  10. Lee SE, Choi JY, Hong KT, Lee KR. Treatment of acquired and small congenital melanocytic nevi with combined Er: YAG laser and long-pulsed alexandrite laser in Asian skin. Dermatol Surg. 2015 Apr;41(4):473-80. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000000288. PMID: 25760556.
  11. Guo ZZ, Wang ZC, Wang D, Ge LL, Li YH, Gu YH, Wang W, Wei CJ, Gu B, Yao M, Dong JY, Li QF. Laser treatment for Cafe-au-lait Macules: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Med Res. 2023 Jun 8;28(1):185. doi: 10.1186/s40001-023-01143-1. PMID: 37291616; PMCID: PMC10249291.
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