Understanding Your Birthmark

We are all born with unique features and skin types, some more welcome than others. When it comes to birthmarks, most people are fortunate enough to have a light brown or slightly darker area of skin on their legs, arms or other inconspicuous part of their body. However, birthmarks come in many forms. Some present themselves on the face and have a noticeable purple or reddish hue (vascular birthmarks). Facial birthmarks can be a significant source of concern, not necessarily for health reasons but for one’s emotional well-being. School-aged kids are especially prone to the psychological consequences of a vascular birthmark.

Fortunately, patients in the Beverly Hills area have access to Dr. Talei, an industry leading physician in the field of birthmark removal surgery. He has an exceptional amount of training and expertise, including a dual fellowship training in Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular Birthmarks and Congenital Anomalies with Laser Surgery.

Types of Birthmarks

There are two basic categories of birthmarks: Pigmentary and Vascular.

Pigmentary birthmarks are the most common type. They are often uneven in shape and only a couple shades darker than your normal skin color. Pigmentary birthmarks come in all sizes and an appear anywhere on your body, but rarely on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.

Vascular birthmarks are more noticeable and appear as red or purple spots on the skin. Vascular birthmarks include hemangiomas, port wine stains and “stork bites.” These are the birthmarks that patients want to remove because they commonly appear on the face or neck. Vascular birthmarks are essentially a place where a group of blood vessels have grown together. It is not uncommon for parents to seek treatment for a vascular birthmark on their child before he or she is aware of the emotional setbacks or embarrassment.

How Do Lasers Treat Birthmarks

When it comes to vascular birthmarks, there are several options. In many cases, laser treatment is effective. There are specialized lasers that can essentially shrink the blood vessels of the hemangioma, which lightens the mark or makes it become much less noticeable. Laser therapy on a pigmentary birthmark can make it disappear entirely.

If you were born with an unsightly birthmark, please understand that you have options for removal. With Dr. Talei’s unrivaled expertise in birthmark treatment, you have every opportunity to gain complete confidence in your skin, despite what you were born with.