How to Remove Birthmarks
Talk to your dermatologist about prescription skin medications., Investigate laser therapy., Consider cryosurgery to remove birthmarks., Look into surgical excision., Ask about a surgical shave.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Talk to your dermatologist about prescription skin medications.
Oftentimes, you can get rid of a vascular birthmark (such as hemangiomas) by taking corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids slow down the development of birthmarks and reduce their size but they do not actually remove the mark.Corticosteroids can be taken orally, injected into the birthmark, or used topically.
Other medications used for birthmarks include propranolol and vincristine, which are used for hemangiomas (see the last section below for more details). -
Step 2: Investigate laser therapy.
Laser therapy can help to reduce the size and halt the development of vascular birthmarks.
Laser therapy involves the application of focused, short laser light bursts to the birthmark and can be used to lessen the color, reduce the size, and even stop certain birthmarks from growing.Laser therapy can be used to remove port-wine stains and café au lait spots but is not always successful, causing the spots to return.Although total removal of birthmarks may be impossible, they can be lightened considerably after several sessions of laser therapy.
Laser therapy can be an effective treatment method, but it can also be very expensive. , Cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and fade spots, causing them to peel off.During the procedure, liquid nitrogen is applied on the mark to freeze the skin on and under the spot.
Then, the skin is scraped off using an instrument known as curette.
Complications of cryosurgery include scarring and lightened skin color. , Skin surgery can be done as an outpatient procedure and only involves a removal of very limited amounts of outer skin.
Although surgical removal of skin is considered a minor procedure, it is still invasive and a preoperative assessment of the patient should be done by the doctor.Surgery can be done to remove moles and hemangiomas Depending on the size of the birthmark, surgery may leave a permanent scar.
During the procedure, your doctor will provide a local anesthesia to numb the area and then removes the birthmark with a scalpel.
The skin is then stitched together using dissolving suture.
Surgical excision is often intended for deeper birthmarks. , A surgical shave is an incision done without the need for stitches.
It is performed either through the use of a traditional blade or an electric cautery machine.During the procedure, your doctor uses local anesthesia to numb the area around the mark and then cuts the area around and beneath the birthmark with a small scalpel.
Surgical shaving is often used for smaller moles or skin tags and rarely needs sutures. -
Step 3: Consider cryosurgery to remove birthmarks.
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Step 4: Look into surgical excision.
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Step 5: Ask about a surgical shave.
Detailed Guide
Oftentimes, you can get rid of a vascular birthmark (such as hemangiomas) by taking corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids slow down the development of birthmarks and reduce their size but they do not actually remove the mark.Corticosteroids can be taken orally, injected into the birthmark, or used topically.
Other medications used for birthmarks include propranolol and vincristine, which are used for hemangiomas (see the last section below for more details).
Laser therapy can help to reduce the size and halt the development of vascular birthmarks.
Laser therapy involves the application of focused, short laser light bursts to the birthmark and can be used to lessen the color, reduce the size, and even stop certain birthmarks from growing.Laser therapy can be used to remove port-wine stains and café au lait spots but is not always successful, causing the spots to return.Although total removal of birthmarks may be impossible, they can be lightened considerably after several sessions of laser therapy.
Laser therapy can be an effective treatment method, but it can also be very expensive. , Cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and fade spots, causing them to peel off.During the procedure, liquid nitrogen is applied on the mark to freeze the skin on and under the spot.
Then, the skin is scraped off using an instrument known as curette.
Complications of cryosurgery include scarring and lightened skin color. , Skin surgery can be done as an outpatient procedure and only involves a removal of very limited amounts of outer skin.
Although surgical removal of skin is considered a minor procedure, it is still invasive and a preoperative assessment of the patient should be done by the doctor.Surgery can be done to remove moles and hemangiomas Depending on the size of the birthmark, surgery may leave a permanent scar.
During the procedure, your doctor will provide a local anesthesia to numb the area and then removes the birthmark with a scalpel.
The skin is then stitched together using dissolving suture.
Surgical excision is often intended for deeper birthmarks. , A surgical shave is an incision done without the need for stitches.
It is performed either through the use of a traditional blade or an electric cautery machine.During the procedure, your doctor uses local anesthesia to numb the area around the mark and then cuts the area around and beneath the birthmark with a small scalpel.
Surgical shaving is often used for smaller moles or skin tags and rarely needs sutures.
About the Author
Ashley Gonzales
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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