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Blemish removal or changing Allaah's creation? 

Question:
May Allaah be good to you, the questioner, Nooraa `Abd al-`Azeez from the Eastern Province, says that she is a young girl with small black spots on her face similar to black-seed in size. These spots are many in number, from six to eight different spots. What is the ruling regarding the removal of these spots at a hospital using laser treatment or any other method?

Answer:
There's no problem in removing them because they, in this multitude that she described, without any doubt distort the face and cause people to dislike looking at her. The principle in such a case is that whatever is used for beautification is forbidden and whatever is used to remove a blemish is permitted.

The proof against the first one (beautification) is that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cursed the women who make and seek tattoos, and likewise the ones who file teeth and seek it. As for the tattoo, it is colouring of the skin, and as for filing teeth, it is to rub the teeth with a file or something similar. He cursed them because the purpose of this is beautification.

As for the proof in favour of the second one (removing blemishes), the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) permitted the man who's nose was cut off, to use a nose made of silver, So the man did so. Then the silver started to corrode, so he ordered the man to take gold in place of the silver, because the purpose of doing so was the removal of a blemish, so take this principle and benefit from it.

Having said this, the women who try to change the darkness in their faces (to be lighter in complexion), their attempt is forbidden because this is done from the door of changing Allaah's creation for beautification only. Now, if somebody says, "What do you say about fixing cross-eyedness, does it come from the door of blemish removal?" The answer is that this is from the door of blemish removal, so therefore it is permissible. Yes, and similarly, if they clear crookedness in the teeth, it is considered a blemish, so there is nothing wrong with correcting them thus straightening the rows of other teeth.