- Birthmarks are sections of skin that are either red or pigmented at birth. The causes of birthmarks are unknown, and most are not indicative of any larger health issues. However, some moles may be cancerous and should be regularly checked by a doctor. Birthmarks may be frozen off or surgically removed. Laser treatment is a non-invasive birthmark removal procedure.
- Laser treatment involves using a precisely focused light beam to heat cells until the targeted cells burst. This can be used to remove moles. The destruction of the cells can also induce the skin to begin healing, which can reduce the appearance of blemishes in the skin such as red birthmarks.
- Laser treatment can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the size and shape of the birthmark. Overnight stays are usually unnecessary after laser treatment, and you should not need to be confined to bed after the procedure. Your doctor will let you know in the rare event that recovery from laser treatment takes more than a couple of hours. As with all surgery, a period of relaxation will help recovery, though in the case of laser therapy this is not as necessary. Two to three weeks after treatment a red birthmark will become darker and then fade.
- If the laser treatment is deep you may experience some tenderness and bruising in the treated area. However, this should disappear in about a week at the most. A slight tingling sensation is common when undergoing laser treatment and doe snot necessarily mean that bruising will occur.
- In rare cases, laser treatment can cause bleeding, but this should stop soon after the treatment has ended and any wounds caused should heal on their own. You may also find that laser therapy may cause the skin in the area around where the birthmark used to be to discolor in the weeks after treatment. If this occurs then another treatment will be needed. Other things to look out for in the weeks after the treatment include pain, infection and scarring. Please contact your doctor if these occur.