Abstract
Congenital nevi, café au lait macules, Becker's nevi, and nevus of Ota/Ito are among the most common benign pigmented lesions in the pediatric population. Such lesions may be removed due to cosmetic reasons, and laser therapy has recently been used for this purpose. Therapy began with the use of non‐selective lasers, but over time, pigment‐selective quality‐switched (QS) lasers and intense pulsed light began to be used. Currently, the more accepted lasers for pigment removal are the QS ruby laser (694 nm), the QS alexandrite laser (755 nm) and the QS Neodymium Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (1064 nm), which can be frequency‐doubled (532 nm). These lasers specifically target the melanosome as a chromophore, using the theory of selective photothermolysis. Pigment non‐selective lasers, such as the carbon dioxide (CO
2
, 10 600 nm) and erbium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG, 2940 nm) lasers, can also be used to remove certain lesions and can be used in conjunction with pigment selective lasers. This chapter comprehensively presents laser treatments for the aforementioned pigmented lesions based on recent literature, while including indications, contraindications, and technique for the lasers. The chapter also discusses the caution that should be used while treating pigmented lesions due to the possibility of masking malignancies, as well as newer and upcoming laser treatments.