hi im new

hi I am have port wine stain on my left leg. it is more at the bottom than the top. its more of a redish color. I just recently started school and I don't like to wear shorts because of what I have. I am 17 years old and a senior in high school. I had to take my last year of P.E. to graduate so I had to wear shorts. I feel really embarrased about it and it makes me feel different. I know it is a part of me and which makes me special but I would just like to be normal. I came home upset because of what I had and my mom said she would take me to the determatologist. Nobody told me anything...its just I know its there and I would feel better about myself if it was gone. I just wanted to ask everybody a few questions. What are the consequences for this procedure to get laser? Does it leave scars? Does it hurt? How much does it cost? How many procedures does it take for it to go away? how long will it take? Sorry for all these questions but you all seem to be so intuned with what you have that I just wanted to know what all of yall would think about it. Thank you for all your help. May god bless every person! bye!

Hi. I am sure that adults will chime in and can help answer a lot of your questions. Hank is great and I am sure he will respond soon.
I can tell you that laser is not just for cosmetic BUT for medical reasons. You are still young, but many adults have had "changes" in their pws,esp if untreated. You may see some changes at 17, it would depend a lot on location and the depth of your individual pws.
There is always a chance of scarring with laser tx. Unfortunately, you can never say never. But if you see a Vascualr Abnormalities specialist and with the current laser technology, the risk of scarring is there but much better than if you were seeing someone who is NOT a laser specialist for Vascular issues.
Insurance sometimes does cover laser. You made need to fight them and send them letters from doctors about the medical necessity etc. Is your pws causing you pain? Are both your legs equal in size? Do you notice any swelling etc?
Unfortuneately, with the current laser technology, most pws can not be eradicated 100 percent. There is hope for the future though. Technology is always changing.
How many tx's you would need is very hard for anyone to answer you at this point. The Dr may be able to give you a general idea about how much fading to expect and approx. how many BUT they usually want to see some test spot results first or see how the pws responds after one tx.
I am sorry that you have been having some issues with your pws. It will be very good for you to hear from the adults here who live everyday with their pws. I do not have a pws ,it is my daughter. I will not even begin to say that I know what you are going through, because it is not me and I can imagine but I am not the one going through life with a pws. I have the same concerns for my daughter as I hear you and other adults state.
We are all special and unique in our own ways.
Good luck
ELena

[hankbartenbach]

Hi anglebabby,

I am 23 with facial PWS.

First, Elena is exactly right about the laser treatment. Doctors will not even be able to tell you the honest truth on how long it would take to have your PWS removed. Depending on what Grade your PWS is really depends on how long it will take. I have grade 3 which means I will most likely have some form of PWS for the rest of my life. Every PWS is different, if you would like to post a picture I can give you my opinion, but I am not a doctor. The lighter the PWS sometimes can mean it is not as deep which might not take as long for treatment. In the pas 18 years I have had over a hundred laser treatments. Technology is so much better these days and can remove PWS faster.

If you ever get it completely removed you might have to have touch up treatments every 10 years. It is really hard to say exactly.

Ask the doctor that you are going to see what laser he/she is going to use. The V-Beam Pulse Dye laser is the newest one I have used and it s pretty good. It is safe on infants, three times as fast as older laser I have used, and I never have been scared from it.
What it feels like is a air compressure and a rubberband hitting your skin at the same itme. Your leg is not as sensitive as it would be on the face like my PWS is, so if you could put up with a rubberband hitting your leg with the cooling device, you should be fine. I use to drive myself to my treatments and back.

If you want to get multiple opinions look under resources and find a physician in your area that is on this list.
The cost differs from state to state. I have had laser treatment in five different states. Insurance is the same thing.

What state do you live in? Someone might know of a good doctor in your area they can recommend, as well as insurance.

If you have any other question please ask we are here for you. Others will post as well.

Talk to you soon.

Hank