Birthmark Removal - Treating Vascular and Pigmented Spots with Lasers
[25 Jun 2008 | No Comment | 689 views]
To understand how birthmarks are treated with lasers, it helps to first understand what makes up a birthmark. Birthmarks generally fall into one of two broad categories: 1) red (vascular) or 2) brown (pigmented). Although seldom life-threatening, a large birthmark can have a tremendous negative psychological effect on a child. Additionally, some vascular birthmarks can impinge on vital structures such as the nose, eyes, or lips, which can result in a child's delayed development and even permanent damage.
The most common birthmark found on babies is the hemangioma or strawberry. These are non-cancerous tumors composed of numerous blood vessels. Hemangiomas appear in the first few weeks of life on about 1 out of every 10 infants. Girls are more commonly affected than boys.
The hemangioma tumor may start as a pinpoint-sized red dot. Within a few months, the hemangioma usually reaches its full size, which can be anywhere from one to several inches in diameter. Once it has fully developed (typically 10 to 12 months after birth), the tumor begins a prolonged period of shrinking.
In more than 50 percent of children with ...
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Botox is a drug that is used to block nerve transmission to a muscle. It was developed in the 1980s to treat muscle spasms in the face and muscular imbalances in the eyes. Botox evolved from medical use to aesthetic use when it was noticed that certain facial wrinkles would disappear or significantly improve when specific underlying muscles were injected with the drug.
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