Laser treatment of nevus of Ota

Nevus of Ota is an often disfiguring dermal melanocytosis of the face most prevalent in the Japanese population. Since these lesions persist in the absence of treatment, various modalities have been used to make a nevus of Ota less noticeable. Treatment with Q-switched lasers can selectively destroy the melanosomes and melanocytes that are responsible for the pigmentation. Compared to other treatments, laser treatment is well tolerated and usually results in good to excellent lightening without scarring.