Cherry Angiomas:

• Appear as 2 mm to 5 mm dome-shaped dark red to purple bumps
• May appear anywhere on the skin’s surface including the scalp
• Are harmless and never develop into skin cancer
• May be caused by hormones or sun damage
• Appear in adulthood and as the skin matures
• Do not disappear spontaneously
• May get gradually larger with time
• There is no way to prevent these lesions from developing

Treatment:

• Small cherry hemangiomas, on the body, can be removed with a fine electrical instrument (electrocautery) which feels hot to touch

• • The treatments sting
  • The lesions will become crusted for about one week before they fall off
  • There is no bleeding and no stitches required
  • The treated area requires no special treatment
  • You may bathe normally
  • A bandage is not necessary

• For large cherry hemangiomas on the body, removal with a simple, small, surgical procedure produces the best result

• • The skin adjacent to the angioma is injected with a local anesthetic to numb the area
  • The lesion is removed and the base treated with electrocautery so that it does not bleed
  • Stitches are not necessary
  • The removal is not painful
  • After the procedure you may bathe normally
  • For 1 week after the procedure, apply a small amount of antibiotic cream and change the bandage daily
  • After an angioma has been removed a crust or scab will form
  • This will heal and leave a pink mark that will gradually fade
  • After the removal, there may be a residual white mark
  • There is a small chance that the cherry hemangioma could grow back

• For cherry hemangiomas on the face I recommend treatment with IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)

• • IPL is a machine which emits a bright light
    • IPL treatments are also known as Fotofacials (Photofacials)
    • IPL looks similar to a laser
  • This light removes unwanted red and brown lesions and discoloration for the skin
  • As an added bonus, IPL treatment also improves:
    • Brown freckling
    • Enlarged pores
    • Sun damage
    • Skin collagen
    • Redness caused by broken capillaries
  • All of these lead to smoother, younger looking skin and reduced redness at the same time
  • Please click here to watch a video clip in which Dr. V discusses IPL

• There is no cream at this time that will remove Cherry Angiomas
• Treatment of Cherry angiomas is not covered by OHIP or private health insurance
• There is a small risk that any treatment may produce permanent white marks (scars)
• If you are not currently a patient, a referral from another physician is required for electrocautery treatments with the doctor
• If you are interested in a free consultation regarding IPL with one of our aesthetic assistants, a referral is NOT necessary

To learn more about IPL please click here