A new treatment combo is giving hope to people with hard-to-treat port-wine birthmarks. A retrospective study found that sequential focal point technology (FPT) followed by pulsed dye laser (PDL) led to improvement in 96% of patients — including those who had failed 10 or more prior treatments. Patient satisfaction was so high that the approach is now being adopted as a standard of care at one leading dermatology practice.
A new laser combination is turning heads in dermatology. A retrospective study presented at the ASLMS 2026 Annual Meeting found that sequentially applying 1550-nm nonablative fractional focal point technology (FPT) followed by pulsed dye laser (PDL) was safe and highly effective for adults with port-wine birthmarks (PWBs) — those stubborn, reddish skin discolorations caused by malformed blood vessels beneath the skin.
Of 58 patients with adequate follow-up photography, 96% showed improvement and 53% had areas of complete clearance. Notably, the protocol worked even for the toughest cases: 100% of patients who had undergone 10 or more prior treatments still saw improvement. Patient satisfaction was remarkably high, with all 30 survey respondents reporting noticeable improvement in appearance and color.
Senior investigator Dr. Roy Geronemus of NYU says the sequential approach has now become his practice's standard of care for thick and resistant PWBs — and an outside expert called the results potentially practice-changing.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Port-wine birthmarks can be psychologically distressing and notoriously difficult to treat, especially as they thicken with age. This combination approach offers a promising new option for patients who have exhausted conventional therapies.
