Birthmark Removal

Large port wine stain. Image courtesy abc.news.go.com*

Yes, it is possible to get rid of a birthmark. Most people are born with some small spot that makes them distinct, like an oddly shaped discoloration. But many others are born with a large, exposed marking that can make them feel insecure or unattractive. Birthmarks come in all shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. In fact, they fall into different classifications depending on whether they are pigmented or vascular in origin.

Birthmark Classifications

If you were born with a large marking that you hate, and have been on a search for how to get rid of a birthmark, you’re probably already familiar with the many different kinds out there. The first initial categories are broken up like so:

  • Caused by pigmentation: these arise through a surplus of fibroblasts, melanocyte cells, or smooth muscle tissue. They appear as a tan to black marking, varying in size, and can be smooth along the skin or textured.
  • Caused by vascularity: these are the result of a malfunction in specific blood vessels. They appear as a red or pink spot, also varying in size, and are usually smooth in texture.

Amid these two classifications, we have moles, Mongolian spots, café au lait spots, the port wine stain, the angel’s kiss, and the strawberry mark (the one raised vascular birthmark).

What Treatment is Used to Get Rid of a Birthmark?

Unless you have a mole that can easily be surgically removed, laser birthmark removal is the best treatment to get rid of a marking you don’t want. The type of laser you need depends on the type of birthmark you have, of course.

Today, there are many varying laser technologies to target specific problems in the skin. For example, pigmented birthmarks would require a laser light that focuses on melanocyte cells, targeting them at such a wavelength that they break apart. This would then relieve the variance in pigmentation on the skin’s surface. The Q-switch is a family of lasers that does this.

For a port wine birthmark, or other vascular spot, a pulsed dye laser would be right for the job. This laser light targets and shuts down the blood vessels that are causing the mark to appear. Another laser system called the V-Beam perfecta also targets the blood vessels, but instead of shutting them down, it warms them up. This also relieves the appearance of the birthmark.