Brown birthmarks can be light or dark brown in colour and occur anywhere on the body. They are sometimes present at birth and sometimes appear during the first year of life. Some brown birthmarks are flat and some develop a thickened surface and become hairy as the child gets older. Brown birthmarks are usually due to an increased number of pigment producing cells in the skin.

Treatment for brown birthmarks depends on the size and type of the birthmark and the area of the body that is affected. Some birthmarks are suitable for surgical excision, which will completely remove the birthmark but will leave a scar. If you are interested in surgical treatment you will need to see a plastic surgeon. Your GP may be able to advise you further.

Some birthmarks are suitable for laser treatment to fade the brown pigment.

We use the Qswitched Nd:YAG laser, which can result in good fading of some brown birthmarks and rarely leaves a scar. It is particularly useful for flat brown birthmarks that are not suitable for surgical excision. Multiple treatments are required to get as much fading as possible and results are variable.

An initial consultation is always required to assess your birthmark and discuss your specific needs.

There is no routine NHS funding for laser treatment but patients with large disfiguring facial birthmarks can be considered for NHS funding. Please discuss this with your GP who may be able to apply to the Exceptional Funding Panel on your behalf. A referral from your GP or hospital specialist, with funding approval, is required for all NHS patients.

If you are not eligible for NHS funding you can self-fund your laser treatment at Bristol Laser Centre. An initial consultation costs £120. Brown birthmark treatment sessions start from £145 per session.

>> Contact Bristol Laser Centre

What is a portwine birthmark?

A portwine birthmark is a red, pink, or purple birthmark made up of layers of blood vessels. It is the blood flowing through these blood vessels that causes the colour.

Laser treatment of portwine birthmarks

Laser treatment is a safe and effective way of fading portwine birthmarks. Laser treatment uses a narrow beam of light that is absorbed by the red colour in the blood vessels. This shuts the vessels down and makes the birthmark lighter in colour. 

The laser used for this type of birthmark is a pulsed dye laser.

How successful is laser treatment?

Most portwine birthmarks fade with laser treatment, but they are rarely completely removed. Multiple treatments are usually needed to get as much fading as possible. 

Occasionally these marks do not respond at all to laser treatment. In some people the fading is only temporary and the colour can return in time. Further treatment may then be required.

How can I prepare for treatment?

It is very important that your skin is as pale as possible before treatment. You should not have a suntan or use sunbeds, false tan, or “holiday skin” moisturisers. You should protect the area from the sun by using a high factor sun cream or keeping the area covered. 

Some medications and herbal remedies can make your skin more sensitive to lasers. Please bring a list of your medications to your consultation and tell us if your medication changes.

What happens after treatment?

The pulsed dye laser leaves purple bruises over the treated area which usually last about a week. Your skin may feel hot and sore but this does not last long. You won’t need to do much aftercare. 

You will be given written instructions on how to care for the treated area.

What are the possible side-effects?

The risk of scarring is low. Laser treatment can occasionally cause the normal skin pigment to increase or decrease, causing a pale or dark mark where the treatment has been. This usually returns to normal but can take a long time. 

Side-effects are more common if the skin is tanned when treated.

Laser treatment may not be suitable for people with very dark skin because of the increased risk of side-effects. The benefits and risks of treatment will be fully discussed at your consultation.

Treatment for children

Children under 18 requiring treatment for portwine birthmarks are funded by NHS England. Your GP or dermatologist can refer you to Bristol Children’s Hospital where the paediatric laser service is based.

Funding for laser treatment

Laser treatment for adults with birthmarks is not routinely funded on the NHS. The Exceptional Funding Panel in your area may consider funding for patients with large facial birthmarks. If you think you may be eligible, discuss this with your GP. 

If you cannot get NHS funding you can self-fund your consultation and treatment at Bristol Laser Centre. We offer a sensitive, personal, honest approach. 

An initial consultation with a specialist doctor is always required. This costs £120. During the initial consultation you will discuss your specific needs. We may then offer a test patch to show how well you may respond to the treatment. 

Portwine birthmark laser treatments start from £145 per session.

How do I book in? 

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a consultation, please phone us on 0117 414 1212.

Or fill in our online form: Contact Bristol Laser Centre

© North Bristol NHS Trust. This edition published March 2025. Review due March 2028. NBT002016

Can I have laser treatment if I have a suntan?

Can I have laser treatment while pregnant or breast-feeding?

Can I have laser treatment while taking medication?

I have dark skin. Does this make a difference?

Does laser treatment hurt?

NHS Treatment

A referral from your GP or hospital doctor is required for all NHS patients.

There is no routine funding for laser treatment, except for children with birthmarks and a few exceptions such as patients with burns scarring. If you wish to be considered for NHS treatment, please see your GP to discuss whether you might be eligible.

In most cases your GP will have to apply on your behalf to the Exceptional Funding Panel in your local area. Consideration may be given to patients with large facial birthmarks, medical problems such as open wounds, bleeding lesions or other unusually severe conditions. 

Self-funded Treatment

If you are not eligible for NHS funding, you can choose to self-fund your laser treatment. An initial appointment at the Bristol Laser Centre with a specialist doctor costs £120. We offer a sensitive, personal, honest approach to your laser treatment needs.

All laser treatments at the Bristol Laser Centre are performed by doctors and nurses who have received specialist training in skin laser treatment.

A referral is not needed for self-funding patients over 16 years of age. Patients seeking self-funded treatment can contact Bristol Laser Centre or phone us directly on 0117 4141212 to arrange an appointment.

In some circumstances we may request information from your GP, for example if you have any medical history that may influence laser treatment.

We require a referral letter for all children under 16 years old.

>> Contact Bristol Laser Centre

All laser treatments at Bristol Laser Centre are performed by doctors and nurses who have received specialist training in skin laser treatment.

A laser is a very powerful energy source that produces a very bright light. When something absorbs this light it heats up, rather like a black object heats up in sunlight. By controlling the colour, energy and direction of the laser beam it is possible to heat up certain targets in the skin without damaging the rest of the skin.

Pulse dye laser

Vascular lasers such as the pulse dye laser work by targeting the blood vessels in the skin, heating them up so that the blood vessels shut down. Pulse dye lasers produce short, high-energy pulses of light, which disrupt the blood vessels, resulting in bruising immediately after treatment. This can take about 7 days to fade. These are the lasers most commonly used for treatment of red birthmarks.

Qswitched NdYAG laser

This laser is designed to treat tattoos and pigmented (brown) lesions. The tattoo ink particles absorb the laser energy and break up into smaller fragments, which are gradually dispersed by the body’s natural defence systems.

Qswitched Ruby laser

This laser may be used to fade green and blue tattoos, which are the most difficult colours to fade with laser treatment.

Long pulsed Alexandrite laser

The Alexandrite laser is designed to treat unwanted hair. It is the pigment of the hair that is the target for the laser energy so it works best on dark hair. Very light coloured hair does not respond at all. The laser energy heats up and damages the hair’s growing mechanism, so that hair growth is reduced.

Long pulsed NdYAG laser

This laser enables unwanted hair to be treated safely in dark-skinned individuals, for whom the Alexandrite laser is often not suitable.

It can also be used to enhance pulse dye laser treatment of some birthmarks and for leg threadveins.

Carbon Dioxide Laser (C02 Laser)

This laser has two functions, ablative and fractionated. The ablative function is a concentrated energy beam used to remove superficial layers of the skin. It is used to treat some conditions such as skin cancers and raised pigmented lesions.

The fractionated function can be used to treat problematic scarring, for example from a burns injury. It can also be used as a resurfacing tool to improve the appearance of scars left from severe acne.

Professional Skin Laser treatment from the Experts

Opened in 1992, the Bristol Laser Centre, Southmead Hospital Bristol was one of the first units in the UK to offer skin laser treatments.

Bristol Laser Centre treats both NHS and self-funding patients from across the Bristol area and the entire South West region.

All laser treatments at the Bristol Laser Centre are performed by doctors and nurses who have received specialist training in skin laser treatment. 

Contact Bristol Laser Centre or call 0117 4141212 for an appointment.

Conditions treated include:

• Acne treatments
• Tattoo removal
• Unwanted hair removal
• Portwine stain birthmarks
• Spider naevi
• Facial threadveins and redness
• Rosacea
• Red scars
• Haemangiomas/strawberry marks
• Brown birthmarks
• Freckles
• Age spots

With an initial self-funded consultation with one of our specialist doctors for £120, we offer a sensitive, personal, honest approach to your laser treatment needs.

GMC number: 3667550

Specialty: Urology

Clinical interest: Community Urology, Testicular Cancer, Renal Cancer, Retroperitoenal Surgery and Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Secretary: Amy Wheeler

Telephone: 0117 4145002

E-mail: urologykidneyoncologyadminteam@nbt.nhs.uk

Mr Timothy Whittlestone was named Hunterian Professor of Surgery 1992.
 
Mr Whittlestone trained in Surgery at Oxford, Bristol, Mayo Clinic Minnesota, Cornwall and Weston Super Mare.

He is trained in Surgical Management of Urinary Incontinence and has been the Clinical Lead in Urology at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT)since 2010.

BrAMS combines top class clinical services with cutting edge research. Donations can be made to support BrAMS through Southmead Hospital Charity with all funds going directly to the provision of clinical research and facilities at the BrAMS centre and our own laboratory research based at Southmead Hospital Bristol.

Stem cell research offers the potential for exciting developments in many areas of medicine, including the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The BrAMS unit also participates in many ongoing international and national multicentre clinical studies, testing drugs to see whether they should be approved for wider use in the general population for those with MS.

These also provide a vital source of revenue for the unit, funding many key posts. We are fortunate that BrAMS has earned a reputation as a centre of excellence for the coordination of MS clinical trails.

Just £3 a month, 10p a day will make a real and lasting difference to the future of multiple sclerosis.

Thank you so much for your support.