How to Remove Cherry Angiomas: Causes, Laser Removal and Aftercare

If you are wondering how to remove cherry angiomas, the short answer is to have a licensed provider treat them in a clinic, not at home. At Catara Med Spa in Algonquin, IL, we use the GentleMax Pro laser: the spot often turns darker or gray right away, then crusts lightly, and the crust usually flakes off in a few days.

For the treatment itself, see our page on cherry angioma removal in Algonquin, IL.

This guide covers what these small red spots are, what causes them, how laser removal works, and how to care for your skin afterward.

What Are Cherry Angiomas?

Cherry angiomas are small, bright red spots or bumps made up of tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Many people call them red moles or red freckles.

In medical references you will also see the names cherry hemangioma and Campbell De Morgan spots. StatPearls, a medical reference hosted by the National Library of Medicine, describes them as bright red, dome-shaped bumps, usually 1 to 5 millimeters across.

They often appear several at a time, and they can start as flat red dots that grow into small raised bumps. They can also bleed if they are injured.

What Causes Cherry Angiomas?

There is no well-known cause of cherry angiomas, according to StatPearls. Because they are most commonly seen in older adults, it says the aging process may be one cause.

The number of spots tends to increase with age, and StatPearls reports cherry angiomas in about 75% of adults over 75. They appear in people of all races and ethnicities, and in men and women alike.

StatPearls also lists pregnancy among the possible associations, and notes that some studies have found gene changes within the spots themselves.

Cherry Angiomas on the Face and Body

Cherry angiomas show up mostly on the trunk or arms, and StatPearls notes they are rarely seen on the face, hands, or feet. At Catara, a cherry angioma on the face, chest, or arms can be treated, and you wear protective eyewear during treatment. If your spots are somewhere else, ask at your consultation.

Clients choose removal when a spot is hard to cover with makeup, or when it snags or bleeds after being rubbed by clothing or a shower loofah.

How to Remove Cherry Angiomas: Your Options

StatPearls describes several kinds of cherry angioma treatment, including electrocautery, shave excision, cryotherapy (freezing), and laser or light treatments. People most often want a spot removed for cosmetic reasons or to keep it from bleeding after an injury.

StatPearls also notes that removal may result in scarring. At Catara, cherry angioma removal is laser treatment, done in the clinic by a licensed provider, after a consultation.

Cherry Angioma Removal at Home

Please do not try cherry angioma removal at home. Picking, burning, or putting acids on a cherry angioma can scar or cause infection.

If a spot bothers you, see a licensed provider instead.

How Cherry Angioma Laser Removal Works

At Catara, we treat cherry angiomas with the Candela GentleMax Pro laser. Your provider aims short pulses of laser light at the tiny blood vessels in the spot.

The spot often turns darker or gray right away, and light crusting can form for a few days. Cooling is used for comfort.

Your provider can treat a single spot or a cluster of spots, and many spots can be treated in one session.

What to Expect at Your Appointment

Every visit starts with a consultation, with no upselling and no pressure. Your provider looks at each spot and confirms it looks like a typical cherry angioma before treating it.

If a spot does not look typical, we will tell you and suggest you have it checked by your doctor.

Your provider also reviews your health history, medications, and sun exposure. A cool compress is applied at the time of treatment, and your provider may start with a single test pulse to check how the spot responds and how it feels.

During treatment you feel quick snapping pulses, often compared to a rubber band snap. Most treatments take under 15 minutes, depending on how many spots we are treating.

A small spot often needs one visit, while clusters or thicker spots may need 2 to 3 visits. Your provider confirms what to expect for your spots at your consultation.

If you would like a provider to look at your spots, book a consultation and we will talk through what to expect.

When Treatment May Need to Wait

Tell your provider if any of these apply to you. Depending on the situation, treatment may be postponed or settings adjusted:

• Pregnancy or breastfeeding: laser treatment is generally deferred until afterward.
• A current tan, recent sun exposure, or sunless tanning product on the area to be treated: treatment is postponed until the tan has faded.
• An active infection, an open wound, or an inflammatory skin flare in the treatment area.
• Photosensitizing medications or supplements, or a photosensitivity disorder, so timing and settings can be reviewed.
• A history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring, or of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, so settings can be adjusted or an alternative discussed.
• Blood thinning medication or supplements. Do not stop or pause any of them unless your prescribing clinician says it is safe.

Before your visit, share your health history and every medication and supplement you take. Any decision about your medications belongs to your prescribing clinician.

Possible Side Effects

Possible side effects of cherry angioma laser removal include:

• The treated spot often turns darker or gray right after treatment.
• Light crusting can form over the treated spot for a few days.
• Redness, swelling, or soreness can occur around the treated spot.
• Scarring or a change in skin color can occur.

Cherry Angioma Aftercare and Downtime

Plan for light crusting on the treated spots for a few days. After treatment, follow these four steps:

• Keep the treated area clean and dry.
• Do not pick at the treated spot.
• Let any crust flake off on its own.
• Apply SPF 30 or higher to the treated area every day.

Most crusts flake off in a few days, and most spots clear as the crust lifts.

New cherry angiomas can appear over time, and results may vary.

Cherry Angiomas, Spider Veins and Darker Spots

Spider veins are a different concern, with their own laser treatment. They are small pink, purple, or red veins at the surface of the skin, and if those are what bother you, read about laser vein removal in Algonquin, IL.

If darker spots and patches on the skin are what you notice, read about laser treatment for pigmentation in Algonquin, IL. Your provider assesses what you are seeing in person before recommending any treatment.

Cherry Angioma Removal FAQs

Do cherry angiomas go away on their own?

Don’t count on it. StatPearls does not describe cherry angiomas fading on their own, and it notes that the number of spots tends to increase with age.

Can I remove a cherry angioma at home?

Please do not. Acids, burning, or picking at a cherry angioma can scar or cause infection, so see a licensed provider instead.

Does cherry angioma laser removal hurt?

You will feel quick snapping pulses, often compared to a rubber band snap. A cool compress is applied at the time of treatment, and most treatments take under 15 minutes.

How many sessions will I need?

A small spot often needs one visit. Clusters or thicker spots may need 2 to 3 visits, and your provider confirms this at your consultation. Results may vary.

Will new cherry angiomas appear after laser removal?

They can. New cherry angiomas can appear over time, and laser removal treats the spots you have rather than preventing new ones.

Does insurance cover cherry angioma removal?

Usually not. Cherry angioma removal is a cosmetic treatment, so insurance typically does not cover it.

Cherry Angioma Removal at Catara in Algonquin

Founded in 2014, Catara is a women-owned med spa in the pink Victorian building at 308 S Main Street, in historic downtown Algonquin near the Fox River.

If a treatment isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you. When you are ready, book a consultation or call us at (847) 658-1300, and we will look at your spots together.