The emotional impact that birthmarks can have on patients, their parents and families cannot be understated. Dr. Jill Waibel is an internationally recognized expert in the laser treatment of birthmarks and offers her birthmark removal services to patients throughout South Florida in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Kendall, as well as to those throughout the country.
ABOUT BIRTHMARK REMOVAL
Being able to remove a strawberry hemangioma from a baby’s face, or a port wine stain that is disfiguring, can literally transform someone’s life and restore a sense of self-confidence and well being. The most common birthmarks treated by the expert board-certified dermatologists at Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute are port wine stains and hemangiomas, but there are a variety of birthmarks that can be treated.
COMMON TYPES OF BIRTHMARKS
- Port Wine Birthmark – Port wine birthmarks are present at birth and do not fade; they become darker and thicker over time. Laser treatment is the safest method used to treat this type of vascular birthmark without scarring or permanently discoloring the skin. Multiple treatment sessions are required.
- Hemangiomas – Hemangiomas are another type of vascular birthmark that are very common, especially on the head and neck. Some hemangiomas may shrink with time and fade, but this can take years. Early intervention with laser treatment can prevent the continued growth of vascular birthmarks during childhood. Our board-certified dermatologists use the VBeam® Perfecta pulsed dye laser to treat these vascular birthmarks.
- Nevus of Ota– The Nevus of Ota is characterized as a blue area of hyperpigmentation caused by the entrapment of melanocytes in the upper portion of the dermis. Pulsed Q-switched laser surgery is an effective treatment that works via selective destruction of the dermal melanocytes and melanophages. After a series of four to eight treatments, skin pigmentation can be reduced dramatically or removed in 90-100 percent of cases, with a less than one percent risk of scarring. Surgical methods may also be used in some cases, including cryotherapy and microsurgery if needed.
