In our clinic, you can receive treatment with either a topical anaesthetic (EMLA or LMX), local anaesthetic, or no anaesthetic. Treatment begins as soon as possible after birth to ensure the best possible response and outcome. Multiple treatment sessions are usually necessary, and complete recovery is not always guaranteed. The diagnosis, location of the birthmark, and patient age are just a few variables that can affect the time between treatments.

Our research shows that the optimal outcome is achieved after six treatments spread out over a few months. Each treatment lasts a different time, ranging from about 15 minutes on the low end to as long as an hour.

Port wine stain removal with a laser shouldn't be too painful. Most people who have experienced this say it feels like a rubber band snapping against their skin. Many patients can get through their procedures without anaesthesia. In that case, our dermatologists provide some options for topical and local anaesthetics to ease any pain associated with the process.

Unless the area being worked on is extremely large, we rarely use general or topical anaesthesia on infants. We wait until the child is either one or two years old, depending on the topical anaesthetic chosen, before administering it. We sometimes use general anaesthesia for surgery of children who are uncooperative or who have large birthmarks that require a significant amount of time. In most cases, adults can receive a pain-free treatment with just a little topical anaesthesia.

Even though most patients need multiple laser treatments to significantly lessen the appearance of their Port Wine stain, you may see slight improvements after just one session. The initial consultation will be with board-certified dermatologist at AKJ Skin and laser Centre who will get you started on your personalised treatment plan.

Although your Port Wine stain may initially appear purple after laser treatment, this is a common side effect of birthmark removal. In any case, after 7-14 days, this discolouration should start to lighten and fade. Some mild redness and itching may appear around the treated area for a few days, but they should go away independently. Some people experience significant blistering, scaling, or crusting after the procedure.