It's been about six months since we started using Timolol drops on Nora's hemangioma (the red spot on her forehead that is basically a cluster of small blood vessels), a treatment option given to us by her dermatologist. Though hemangiomas will involute (go away) on their own, the process can be slow, and we were looking for a non-invasive way to speed up the process. The use of Timolol to treat hemangiomas is a new method that has few studies to offer much in the way of expected outcomes. Timolol is traditionally a beta blocker eye drop used to treat glaucoma; however, it has recently been shown to dramatically speed up the involution of hemangiomas.
When given our options for Nora's treatment, we chose Timolol because it has virtually no side effects (unlike the by-mouth prescription) and it would not be painful for her (like the laser or surgical removal treatments). Since her hemangioma is only cosmetic, we decided on this course of action. We've been very happy with the rate at which it has shrunk the size of the hemangioma and drained the color.
Most hemangiomas begin the involution process on their own when the child is around six months old. For this reason, Nora's pediatrician is skeptical of the effectiveness of the Timolol versus her body's natural reaction to the spot, but we believe the drops have helped immensely (and so does the dermatologist). Many people we've talked to who are familiar with hemangiomas say that it is normal for them to be virtually gone by about age 3-5. At the rate Nora's is disappearing, I'm confident hers will be unnoticeable long before then.
While I was self-conscious of Nora's hemangioma when she was first born, I rarely notice it anymore. We didn't choose to treat it because we were embarrassed by it; we have always believed she is a beautiful baby and we just want the rest of the world to be able to look past that spot and see how pretty she is, too. It's funny now when we're out places and people ask what happened to her head. I like to see them squirm when I tell them she was born with the spot - it's akin to asking someone who isn't pregnant when she's due :)
I'm not getting paid by Timolol to write this blog post, but I do hope that other parents stumble upon it who are looking for hemangioma treatments for their little ones. Clearly, I believe in the stuff!
