Cafe Au Lait Birthmark in Washington, DC
Cafe Au Lait Birthmark Before and After Gallery *
Café Au Lait birthmarks are superficial pigmented birthmarks caused by excess melanin deposits in the epidermis by melanocytes. This results in a relatively more pigmented (darker area of skin) relative to normal skin tone.
Can Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks Be Treated?
The development of short pulse q-switched and picosecond lasers such as the Q-switch Ruby Laser, Picosecond Nd:YAG laser, and Picosecond Alexandrite laser have enabled certain Cafe Au Lait birthmarks to be treated, albeit with varying efficacy and long term success. Despite advancements in treatment, treatment failure and/or recurrence remain significant issues relating to Cafe-Au-Lait birthmarks.
Factors to Consider Prior to Treatment of Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks
Subtype – There are 2 main subtypes of Cafe Au Lait birthmarks, designated based on the shape and border. ‘Coast of Maine’ Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks have irregular borders, resembling the coast of Maine. ‘Coast of California’ Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks, which have smooth or linear borders. resembling the coast of California. The Coast of California birthmarks are far common than the Coast of Maine subtype. Through years of treating these subtypes of Cafe Au Lait it has become apparent that Coast of Maine Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks tend to respond to laser treatment far more readily than Coast of California Cafe Au Lait birthmarks, with the major distinction between these two subtypes of Cafe Au Lait being recurrence rates. The recurrence rate of the Coast of California Cafe Au Lait subtype approaches 100%, sometimes within months or even weeks after adequate treatment. Coast of California subtype birthmarks tend to have lower recurrence rate, albeit roughly 25% will recur despite adequate treatment.
Skin Type – The treatment of Cafe Au Lait birthmarks involves selective destruction of pigment within the skin. As lasers cannot differentiate between a person’s normal pigment and pigment producing cells and those responsible for the production of excess pigment within a birthmark, treatment of pigmented birthmarks on individuals with pigmented skin (black and brown) is extremely difficult and comes with a very high risk of adverse side effects, including temporary or permanent hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and scarring. For these reasons we typically do not even attempt treatment of pigmented birthmarks on dark skinned individuals (Fitzpatrick IV-VI), as the end result is frequently cosmetically inferior to the original birthmark. In fair skinned individuals with pigmented birthmarks such as Cafe Au Lait, these risks are lessened due to the lack of background pigment in the skin.
Treatment Process for Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks
Prior to an in-office consultation we request that patients email us a clear photo of their Cafe Au Lait birthmark, along with information regarding any prior treatments performed. We will respond with a brief evaluation of their birthmark as well as our honest opinion on the potential for treatment success based on the above mentioned factors. If the birthmark is deemed viable for treatment, an in-office consultation will be scheduled to further evaluate the birthmark and provide further treatment information as well as pricing. Multiple treatments, often 6-12 or more, are often required for moderate lightening of Cafe Au Lait Birthmarks. As they are considered cosmetic in nature, health insurance will not cover any treatment of Cafe Au Lait birthmarks.
For more information on our birthmark removal program, please visit our birthmark removal page.