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FAQ Port Wine Stain

FAQ
Will a port wine stain ever go away on its own?
It is very rare for a port wine stain to disappear spontaneously without treatment. These are persistent lesions.
Skin color does not matter in the pathology of the port wine stain. However, it will appear differently based on skin color. A PWS/PWB will be more noticeable on a person with a lighter skin color than on a person with a darker skin color.
The light from the laser enters the skin and is absorbed by the blood in the abnormal vessels. During this process, heat is generated, which causes the abnormal blood vessels to clump together.

1 in 300 babies is born with a port-wine stain.

No. A port-wine stain is the second most common vascular birthmark, after Infantile Hemangioma.

A port wine stain is not a cosmetic condition. The entire affected area is abnormal; both the visible portion of the stain and the area under the stain.
Yes, there is a connection.
Yes. A port wine stain that has been treated in childhood can largely disappear. The stain must then be treated regularly. However, the treatment is still very effective at any age and a similar disappearance can occur at any age.

The laser can only destroy excess blood in the blood vessels it can reach. Currently, there is no laser that can reach all capillaries.

In addition, some blood vessels have very fast blood flow that the laser cannot reach. Current lasers only penetrate 1-2 mm. Capillaries (which make up a port wine stain) vary in depth and size. You cannot target something that you cannot reach in depth, or catch in speed. In some cases, complete clinical disappearance can still occur.

A port wine stain may appear darker or lighter based on temperature.

Laser treatment of port wine stains will not remove the condition. However, a 100% reduction/disappearance can be achieved so that the stain is no longer visible to the naked eye.

About 67% occurs on the head and neck area.

Yes. It occurs equally in men and women.
Yes. The presence of a port-wine stain can sometimes be a clinical indicator of another underlying syndrome, such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, CMTC, or Klippel-Trenaunay.

There are preferred places. See picture.

Laser therapy is the gold standard for treating port wine stains. In addition to reducing malformed blood vessels, it also preserves skin integrity by preventing tissue thickening or adhesion.

A port wine stain consists of malformed capillary blood vessels, hence the medical term ‘capillary vascular malformation’. The goal of treating a port wine stain is to reduce the excess blood in the malformed blood vessels. ‘Treat’ does not mean ‘remove’.

A port-wine stain is also called a nevus flammeus or a capillary malformation.
Most untreated port wine stains will thicken over time and develop bumps. Laser treatment focuses on preventing thickening, spontaneous bleeding and bumps.

Laser treatment (therapy) is the current standard for treating port wine stains. There are other ‘light or energy sources’ that can also be useful in treating these lesions.

Yes, all port wine stains are present at birth, but the color may vary depending on the baby’s skin color.

Yes. It is said that about 75% of all port wine stains will become darker and thicker over time.

Will a port wine stain ever go away on its own?
It is very rare for a port wine stain to disappear spontaneously without treatment. These are persistent lesions.
Skin color does not matter in the pathology of the port wine stain. However, it will appear differently based on skin color. A PWS/PWB will be more noticeable on a person with a lighter skin color than on a person with a darker skin color.
The light from the laser enters the skin and is absorbed by the blood in the abnormal vessels. During this process, heat is generated, which causes the abnormal blood vessels to clump together.

1 in 300 babies is born with a port-wine stain.

No. A port-wine stain is the second most common vascular birthmark, after Infantile Hemangioma.

A port wine stain is not a cosmetic condition. The entire affected area is abnormal; both the visible portion of the stain and the area under the stain.
Yes, there is a connection.
Yes. A port wine stain that has been treated in childhood can largely disappear. The stain must then be treated regularly. However, the treatment is still very effective at any age and a similar disappearance can occur at any age.

The laser can only destroy excess blood in the blood vessels it can reach. Currently, there is no laser that can reach all capillaries.

In addition, some blood vessels have very fast blood flow that the laser cannot reach. Current lasers only penetrate 1-2 mm. Capillaries (which make up a port wine stain) vary in depth and size. You cannot target something that you cannot reach in depth, or catch in speed. In some cases, complete clinical disappearance can still occur.

A port wine stain may appear darker or lighter based on temperature.

Laser treatment of port wine stains will not remove the condition. However, a 100% reduction/disappearance can be achieved so that the stain is no longer visible to the naked eye.

About 67% occurs on the head and neck area.

Yes. It occurs equally in men and women.
Yes. The presence of a port-wine stain can sometimes be a clinical indicator of another underlying syndrome, such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, CMTC, or Klippel-Trenaunay.

There are preferred places. See picture.

Laser therapy is the gold standard for treating port wine stains. In addition to reducing malformed blood vessels, it also preserves skin integrity by preventing tissue thickening or adhesion.

A port wine stain consists of malformed capillary blood vessels, hence the medical term ‘capillary vascular malformation’. The goal of treating a port wine stain is to reduce the excess blood in the malformed blood vessels. ‘Treat’ does not mean ‘remove’.

A port-wine stain is also called a nevus flammeus or a capillary malformation.
Most untreated port wine stains will thicken over time and develop bumps. Laser treatment focuses on preventing thickening, spontaneous bleeding and bumps.

Laser treatment (therapy) is the current standard for treating port wine stains. There are other ‘light or energy sources’ that can also be useful in treating these lesions.

Yes, all port wine stains are present at birth, but the color may vary depending on the baby’s skin color.

Yes. It is said that about 75% of all port wine stains will become darker and thicker over time.

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