Birthmark Removal in Burbank CA

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Birthmarks are stains on your skin that appear at birth or shortly afterwards. Sometimes they are small and remain unnoticed, but sometimes they can be conspicuous and large. In the latter case you may feel uncomftable with your look and have a low self-esteem.

There are few kinds of bithmarks: Pigmented birthmarks also called congenital nevi or moles which may have some precancerous potential; Mongolian spots which are blue-green spots usually found in children and disappear as they grow older; and Coffee-cream spots which caused by to many pigment and usually pose only cosmetic problems. Macular stains, also called salmon patches, usually appear on babies and disappear later in life, except those found on the neck. Abnormal blood vessels create stains which are called Port wine stains. Those do not disappear during life and are especially concerning when appearing around the eyes. Hemangiomas are vascular tumors of many tiny blood vessels, which grow early in life around the head and neck. Many of them disappear after a few months but others may take years to disappear.

There are few methods by which a birthmark is removed. That depends largely on their size, type and location.

Laser therapy is one of the methods used, especially for superficial skin lesions. Laser energy targeted at a specific location causes the skin to fade and become lighter. In a case of port wine stain the laser makes it smaller and prevents from growing further. Laser treatments can be performed at any age, but sometimes several treatments are required.

Surgery is another method used for birthmarks, which cannot be removed by using laser. One example is hemangioma which is too large.

Laser treatment may take from several minutes to an hour, depending on the size of birthmarks. There is very little pain associated with the laser procedure. You may feel a mild burning sensation. Small children, or people sensitive to pain, may receive anesthetics. After the procedure has been completed, the skin is dark purple, and should improve after 7-10 days. Complete healing takes up to 6 weeks, during which you should avoid rubbing the place and exposing it to direct sun.

Every procedure has its risks. This one include pigmentation changes, resulting in areas of dark skin with bright patches. Such can be treated by additional laser treatments. Scar formation may also occur, where it can be treated by skin grafting. Other complications, such as bleeding or infection, are relatively rare.

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