A mom has been slammed on TikTok for removing a large birthmark on her baby's face with laser treatment.
Brooke - who goes by @brookesyn on the social media platform - called out trolls who branded her a "child abuser", claiming that the treatment was the best option for her son.
The mom-of-two has been sharing her journey with her son Kingsley over the past few months. The now six-month-old was born with a large port-wine stain birthmark over half his face.
After consulting with medical professionals, Brooke took the decision to have the birthmark treated with a laser so it was less likely to impact her son later in life.
However, upon sharing this with her followers, the mom was met with brutal backlash. Many followers took to the comments section to criticize her decision to put her baby son through laser treatment.
"Oh my Jesus Christ, how can you do that to him?" wrote one, while another commented: "I think this is just wrong, they should wait until he is 18 and can decide for himself if he wants it removed or not."
"This is literally torture. You should have done more research. There are other ways of helping it fade that are WAY safer and don't hurt," a third added.
Since being criticized so heavily, Brooke has made it her mission to educate her followers. In several videos, she explains that the laser treatment is the best and only option for her son.
"The reason we started so early with the laser is due to the fact it is a port-wine stain birthmark. Portwine stain birthmarks do not fade, they do not disappear. They darken over time, they can progress and become lumpy and cause health issues," she said in one TikTok that has racked up over 308,000 views.
"The younger they are the better it is to start the laser because it is fresh on their skin and it is less stubborn. Over time it will become more stubborn and they will need more sessions in the future," Brooke continued.
She went on to reiterate that she wasn't treating her son for cosmetic reasons - she was doing it for his health.
"I think he is the most beautiful boy in the whole entire world. I don’t give a f*** if he has a birthmark on his face or not," she said, adding: "It p***** me off that people think this is purely for cosmetic purposes when it isn't."
