Pigmented birthmarks such as café au lait spots or moles cannot be prevented, and the majority will not pose any health threat. These marks can be large, however, and if they appear on a highly visible part of the body, such as the face, they can cause distress to those that have them.
If a birthmark is not particularly dark in colour, or is of modest size, then using camouflage makeup may be the most appropriate course of action. Specialist makeup has been developed for this purpose, and offers greater coverage than normal everyday cosmetics.
If makeup does not provide sufficient relief from the birthmark, then birthmark removal could be envisaged. This procedure uses Intense Pulsed Light to cause the birthmark to fade away. The energy from the bursts of light gently heats up the lesion, causing the pigments to break down and disintegrate. The body is then able to remove the excess pigmentation itself and the mark fades from view.
Once treatment has taken place, the birthmark may appear to darken. It will subsequently either blister and start to peel or it will begin to fade. The treatment is fast, and an area of skin two inches square will take as little as ten seconds to treat.
