Birthmarks

Newly born babies often have impermanent pimples or blemishes that soon vanish as they adjust themselves to life outside the womb. It’s also fairly common to see birthmarks on their skin at birth or soon after. Birthmarks range from very clear to mutilating, but no matter how large or small they are, they can be hurtful. Birthmarks can be at a level or raised, have regular or uneven borders, and have dissimilar shades of coloring from brown, tan, black, or pale blue to pink, red, or purple. There are two main types of birthmarks: red, vascular birthmarks (such as, "strawberry" hemangiomas, port wine stains, and "stork bites") and pigmented birthmarks (like moles, café-au-lait spots, and Mongolian spots). Birthmarks are mostly undisruptive and many of the birthmarks even go away on their own or disappear after a span of time. Sometimes birthmarks are linked with other health problems; however, your child’s doctor should verify whether this might be the case for your child.

There is a range of types of birthmarks and there are various choices with the help of which they can be removed, including laser surgery or surgical excision. While birthmarks can be removed in order to improve look and develop self-esteem, they may also be removed in order to lessen the chance of health risks from happening. The method used for removal depends upon the type of birthmark and the severity of its condition. Strawberry marks affect 2% or more of babies. They are raised, soft red lumps on the skin, usually the size of a 50p piece, and look like a strawberry. They are also called capillary haemangioma or cavernous haemangioma if they are deeper in the skin or appear blue in colour.

The blood vessels in these birthmarks are increased in size and number. The reason of most birthmarks is unidentified. Most birthmarks are not present at birth. Many folk tales and mythology subsist about the causes of birthmarks, but none of these chronicles have been confirmed to give explanation of the true causes of birthmarks. Most vascular birthmarks neither happen due to complexities or problems that happen to the mother during pregnancy, nor are they hereditary. Research is currently underway to identify the exact etiology of vascular birthmarks. Teams of medical specialists, including plastic surgeons, hematologists, dermatologists and radiologists are cooperating in efforts to better understand and treat all types of vascular birthmarks. Port wine birthmarks seldom fade but are very agreeable to laser treatment. Lasers obliterate inflamed blood vessels in blemishing birthmarks, and cure can be started on children as young as 6 months of age. Due to advances in medical technology, the laser can be designed at a very fixed level below the skin surface, and remaining only milliseconds, affects only minute areas of tissue hence reducing scarring.