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Is removing a birthmark permissible, based on the premise that it falls under the category of removing defects and returning to the natural form in which Allah created humans in the best stature?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Allah created humankind in the best of forms, and He prohibited altering creation for the sake of beauty. However, He permitted altering it to remove a defect or avert harm. Based on the hadith that curses women who practice tattooing, plucking of eyebrows, and tooth filing for beauty, and based on Al-Nawawi's statement that the prohibition applies to tooth filing for beauty, while if it is for a therapeutic need, there is no harm, and based on what Ibn 'Uthaymeen mentioned that the general rule is: "What is for beautification is forbidden, and what is for removing a defect is permissible," then if a birthmark causes harm, such as people shunning one, or if one fears skin diseases from it, it is permissible to remove it. It is advisable to consult a specialized dermatologist.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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