A port-wine stain is a birthmark made of swollen blood vessels under the skin. Some are small and light pink and others are large and darker. A port-wine stain doesn't go away on its own, but if someone wants to lighten it, treatments can help it fade.

• Most port-wine stains are nothing to worry about. You can care for your child's port-wine stain the same as normal skin.
• If the port-wine stain seems dry, you can put moisturizer on it.
• Some kids feel self-conscious about having a port-wine stain, especially if is very noticeable. Here are some ideas to help your child feel better:
  • Talk simply and openly about the port-wine stain so your child sees it as a normal part of their body.
  • Help your child practice how to answer when asked about the port-wine stain. For example, your child can say, "It's just a birthmark. I was born with it."
  • See if your child wants to use skin-colored makeup to cover the birthmark.
• Go to any follow-up visits that your child's health care provider recommends.

• The port-wine stain bleeds, gets very itchy, or hurts.

Will my child's port-wine stain change? Port-wine stains often get bigger, darker, and bumpier as a child grows.

Does my child need other tests? Usually no testing is needed. Rarely, a port-wine stain can happen with other medical conditions. If the health care provider thinks a child might have a medical condition, they will order tests.

What are the treatments for a port-wine stain? Laser treatment can make many port-wine stains much lighter by shrinking the blood vessels in the birthmark. Starting laser treatment when someone is a baby can make the port-wine stain easier to treat. But laser treatments usually can help older kids and teens too.