I believe I have cherry angiomas, do you treat these?

Question: Hi, Can you explain what these tiny red dots on my skin are? Are they cherry angiomas? If so, how would you treat them and how much do you charge, at least a ballpark figure?

 Dear VN,

Thank you for your question. We do treat cherry angiomas. Cherry angiomas are little red spots on the skin. They are painless and benign, but are a nuisance cosmetically. They can develop anywhere, but are more common on the face, and the upper body. They consist of tiny pools of arterial blood cells and are certainly not needed for normal skin function. They can develop at any time, but are more common as people age. They are most common on lighter skin types.  Luckily, cherry angiomas are very easy to treat with the right laser. My favorite laser for treating angiomas is the KTP laser. It usually only takes one treatment, although sometimes more than one treatment is necessary. The laser focuses a very bright laser light directly onto the treatment sight, and will turn laser energy into heat that is targeted only at the color RED. The angioma will turn a dark brown/black, become a little scab and then fall off after a few days. The result is usually normal appearing skin. Possible risks would include incomplete treatment, pigmentation or white discoloration at the site. It is a fairly comfortable treatment and the patient can drive to and from the appointment.
Cost ranges depending on how many cherry angiomas you have and can be from 125$ for 1-3 angiomas up to $400 or $800 if you have a whole bunch.  We can almost always treat on the same day as your consultation. Please call 206-859-5777 to make an appointment at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center. 

Thank you,

Dr Jennifer Reichel