What is it?

Café au lait birthmarks, Congenital Nevus, Nevus of Ota are examples of birthmarks that may be present at birth or appear later in life. These appear light brown, to dark brown or blue, and are the result of a dense network of melanin pigment in the skin.

Lifestyle Factors

Brown colored birthmarks can typically turn darker in the sun

Skincare Adjuncts

Sun protection is important so brown birthmarks do not appear darker, it also prevents the background skin from tanning, which is a contraindication for most laser treatments

Treatment Options

Treatment Option	Key Benefit	Average Number of Treatments	Amount of Downtime	Comfort Measures
Q-switched Ruby or Q-Sw 1064 laser (safer for darker skin types)	Progressively fades brown pigmented birthmarks. Well suited for fair skin types	Nevus of Ota: 1-3 Congenital Nevus: 5-8 sessions, or more	3-7 days of redness, swelling, some superficial crusting possible	Topical anesthetic cream advised