Has anyone ever gotten a birthmark removed? If so, could you please tell me what kind of birthmark was it, what all they do, the avg. cost, and the downtime?

[This message has been edited by T-Nice (edited 12-31-2000).]

Does anyone even know info on some of the different types of lasers used for this procedure???

erbium would do fine on a birthmark. they don't have to go deep for birthmark removal. you also may want to look into photoderm lasers. they can help with that, too. i think the type you want is called photoderm pl. might wanna look into it. but yeah, erbium, or maybe even co2 is fine.

Thanks ryan. Have you gotten one removed before?

no, i haven't. however, i know that it's nothing really to have one removed as compared to other things, such as removing wrinkles and scars. all it does basically is break up the concentration of pigment in that area of the skin. you should look into the photoderm lasers though. they aren't really lasers actually, but, it's kinda the same deal.

Thankyou ryan, one more question. Do you know the avg. cost to get one removed?

not sure about photoderm, but with laser, it should be about $200-300. how big is it though, and where? could be a bit more, could be less, but that's about average, and usually one treatment with laser does it.

It is about half the size of a dime , on my left cheek.

yeah, probably about $200-250 with the erbium, which is what i'd use, and all you'll probably need is one treatment.

I didn't know it would be so cheap! Goodness, that is good news. When I think of cosmetic surgery I think of hundreds and thousands of dollars!!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif

haha! i know. but really, it isn't all that bad. different than you might think. good luck.

Thanks Ryan , for all your help.

I had a third nipple removed and it cost about $500. The actually cut out your skin (excision they call it) and stitch it up. It hurt a bit and there is a small slice scar but less noticeable than the dark patch which was there before.

[This message has been edited by SM from NJ (edited 01-10-2001).]

Ryan has erbium been known to work well on all skin types? I am African-American.

well, that changes things a bit it's not advised at all that people with dark skin types use laser. there's less chance of dispigmentation and whatnot. all it might do though is lighten the skin you've had treated.

so, the birthmark is kind of a darker color then, right? it might be ok, since laser treatments for birthmark removal are usually pretty superficial, so, you may beok.you may however want to look into photofacial pl treatments. i can't remember if i mentioned those or not. also, microdermabrasion might work well on your skin. they have a brochure with a black lady in it who had treatments done for darker discoloration on her face and it worked pretty well, though it didn't all go away. i think they have the pic at www.powerpeel.com. (http://www.powerpeel.com.) you may wanna check it out and compare.

it gets harder to treat certain things the darker the skin gets 'cause of the increased risk. but, like i said, you may be ok for birthmark removal. check it out and get a few opinions from different doctors. and definitely check out these things on the web. that's your best resource right there. you can even find a good doc. that's how i found mine.

Thanks so much. I am a fair-skinned African American, do you think I have a better chance of getting less scarring?

i don't think you'd have to worry about scarring at all, just dispigmentation possibly. it's better that you're light-skinned though. i saw a picture of a light-skinned black guy that had erbium done once, and, it didn't seem to do anything to his skin, and he had treatments that were a bit deeper than you'll need, so, you may be ok there and not have to worry about anything but the bill.

Thankyou so much Ryan. You have been a great help.