Pulsed dye laser for port wine stains
Port wine stain birthmarks respond well to pulsed dye laser treatment, which targets the specific pigment of the birthmark without damaging surrounding skin.
Snapshot · Stuff You Should Know
Selects: Birthmarks: Probably Not the Mark of the Devil
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Jun 20, 2026
Where this was said
Treatment Options for Birthmarks
At 35:08 · chapter starts 34:10
Josh walks through the treatment landscape: for most birthmarks, doctors take a 'watch and see' approach — examining, photographing, and tracking changes over time. The gold standard active treatment is the pulsed dye laser for vascular birthmarks, particularly port wine stains [1] — Josh Clark "Pulsed dye lasers target a specific wavelength of light absorbed by the pigment of a birthmark but not by the surrounding skin. That light …" 35:00 . The laser targets a specific light wavelength absorbed by the birthmark pigment but not surrounding skin, converting that light into heat and destroying the clustered blood vessels. Josh compares the sensation to hot bacon grease splashing on skin — not pleasant, which makes it poignant that the best time to start treatment is childhood. Pigmented birthmarks are harder to treat with consistent results. For those who want an alternative, the British Association of Skin Camouflage trains makeup artists in specialized techniques for covering birthmarks.
How Laser Treatment Destroys a Birthmark
Pulsed dye lasers target a specific wavelength of light absorbed by the pigment of a birthmark but not by the surrounding skin. That light energy converts to heat inside the birthmark, destroying the clustered blood vessels. Multiple treatments can eliminate port wine stains — though it feels like hot bacon grease on the skin.
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