Birthmarks types: Do you feel conscious and odd in public due to your birthmark? Though known to be harmless, these birthmarks sometimes look strange, if present on prominent areas of body parts. As you think of some safe and natural ways to get rid of it, here we bring for you a synopsis of the birthmark and its easy steps of removal.
What are Birthmarks?
As the name suggests, birthmarks are areas of discoloration on the skin which are present from birth and are often permanent. They may appear as red, pink, purple, or brown patches and vary in size. Birthmarks can occur in any part of the body.
What Causes Birthmarks?
Most birthmarks are probably due to defective migration of cells during fetal development. Once these cells start to multiply, they produce tissue with the characteristics of their cell type though they are not where those cells typically are located.
How much do the Treatments Cost?
The price of birthmark removal will depend on whether it’s covered by insurance. Laser resurfacing can cost $1000 to $3000 per session, and you may need more than one. Shave or surgical excisions can cost $100 to $500.
Vascular birthmarks, like hemangiomas, may require that you take a certain medication, which is likely covered by your insurance.
Besides the appointment itself, you shouldn’t need to take time off from work.
Birthmark Facts
- Birthmarks are composed of various types of normal tissue or pigment that have lost their way to their normal destination during fetal development.
- Most birthmarks are small and do not produce medical problems.
- The most common birthmarks are composed of either pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) or blood vessels.
- Rarely, certain birthmarks can be a clue to a more serious medical problem.
5 Birthmarks Types
There are various Birthmarks types that can be found in different parts of a baby. However, the common and easily recognized marks include the following:
- Mongolian spots
- Moles
- Café au lait spots
- Salmon patch birthmarks
- Strawberry marks
1. Mongolian spots these gray/blue patches resemble bruises and occur most often in babies with dark skin. They usually develop on the back and bottom and required no treatment since they typically fade within 5-6 years
2. Moles although moles can develop at any time, those present at birth are considered birthmarks. A dermatologist should evaluate congenital moles once a year to check for malignant changes.
3. Café au lait spots these common birthmarks are named for their “coffee with cream” color. The flat, oval spots tend to grow larger over time, but babies that have large café au lait spots or very large spots should be evaluated for a genetic disease known as neurofibromatosis
4. Salmon patch birthmarks Salmon patches are the most common type of vascular birthmark. They appear as faint pink or red patches usually on a baby’s face or neck after birth. Salmon patches tend to fade after a few months, but some may take a few years to disappear completely.
5. Strawberry marks (infantile haemangiomas) Strawberry marks are raised, mole-like, pink, red, or purple birthmarks. They get their name because of their texture and color. And also they are relatively common, affecting around 5% of newborn babies.
They usually disappear by the time the child reaches the age of seven, but will first become bigger before they shrink and eventually fade away completely. Some strawberry marks may require treatment; speak to a GP if you are concerned.
What are Vascular Birthmarks?
The avascular birthmark is a discoloration of the skin that is caused by blood vessels that don’t form correctly. They are present at birth or appear shortly after birth. Following are four types of Vascular Birthmarks:
1. Salmon patch (nevus simplex): is a flat patch of pink or red skin, often small, usually with poorly defined borders. Salmon patches may be seen in as many as 1 out of every 3 newborns. They typically are found at the nape of the neck (“stork bite”), on the forehead between the eyebrows (“angel’s kiss”), or on the eyelids. Often, they are more noticeable during crying or changes in temperature.
2. Hemangioma: is a raised bright red spot, often small, usually soft and compressible, with well-defined borders. It occurs most commonly on the face, scalp, chest, or back. It may be present at birth but more often appears during the first month of life. While many hemangiomas will become less noticeable over time, some may grow quite rapidly. In rare instances, the rapidly growing hemangioma can interfere with organ function.
3. Port-wine stain (nevus flammeus): is a flat patch of purple or dark red skin, often large, usually with well-defined borders. It usually is on one side of the face or neck and is present at birth. (Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, has a port-wine stain on his forehead.) Port-wine stains affect less than 1% of infants. In rare cases, they are associated with other abnormalities. (Birthmarks types)
4. Pigmentation Type Birthmarks: These include moles, coffee cream, and Mongolian spots. Coffee cream spots occur due to much pigment in the skin, but are not severe and hence do not require treatment or removal. Mongolian spots are generally blue to grey flat patches and fade on their own in the first few years of children’s lives. Moles usually pose no health risk but may have cancerous effects later on in life.
The following are vascular Birthmarks and Treatment Options:
1. Stork bites also known as angel kisses and Salmon patches – are flat, pink spots caused by tiny blood vessels that form just under the skin. The spots often fade and require no treatment
2. Port wine stains these dark red or purple stains grow over time sometimes becoming bumpy and thick. Rarely, port wine stains can be a sign of a neurological disorder and those that are located on the eyelid can cause glaucoma. Large or unsightly port wine stains can be treated with laser therapy
3. Hemangioma there are two types of hemangiomas, those that appear on top of the skin and deep hemangiomas. Strawberry hemangiomas are bright red, raised birthmarks that are actually a cluster of blood vessels. The majority of strawberry hemangiomas gradually disappear within 7 years without treatment. Deep Hemangiomascreate bulges and gives skin a bluish color. Although many shrink in time, those near the eyes, nose, or mouth may require laser treatment since they can interfere with breathing, eating, or vision
How do the Treatments Work?
Depending on the type of birthmark you have, your doctor may recommend:
- Taking a medication
- Having a laser treatment
- Having it surgically removed
- Shaving or surgery physically removes the birthmark, whereas lasers shrink blood vessels to make vascular birthmarks less visible. Medication is also used to shrink certain birthmarks, like some hemangiomas.
7 Easy Ways to get rid of Birthmarks at Home
1. Ice pack
This is one of the unique ways to get rid of the birthmarks on the body. Cold compression helps to get rid of the hyperpigmentation, thus, fading the marks easily.
How to apply:
- Take an ice pack and massage on the targeted area.
- Do this for at least 30 minutes and wash off with cold water.
2. Vitamin E oil
Closeup the yellow soft gelatin supplement fish oil capsule on wooden
3. Garlic
To use garlic paste, follow the instruction given below:
How to apply:
- First, take 2–3 garlic cloves and wash them before you use them to treat beauty marks.
- Make a paste.
- Cover the skin with petroleum jelly or masking tape to protect the unaffected skin from garlic.
- Apply the garlic paste on beauty marks using a cotton pad.
- Cover your beauty mark with a clean bandage.
- Leave it for 3 to 4 hours.
- You can do this 2 to 3 times a day.
Note: Garlic can cause your skin to burn, especially if you have sensitive skin.
4. Lemon
Many research has proved that lemon consists of vitamin C and citric acid which is a perfect bleaching agent. Lemons can help to lighten the beauty marks. People with sensitive skin can use lemon juice as well. All you need is 1 lemon, filtered water, and cotton balls.
How to apply:
- Squeeze the lemon juice in one bowl.
- Add equal parts of water and lemon juice.
- Apply that lemon juice all over your face with cotton balls.
- Keep it for 20 minutes and wash it off with water.
- You can try this mixture every alternate day. If you have sensitive skin then you can use honey or rose water with lemon juice to apply it to your face.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is the best home remedy for the skin. It consists of vitamins A, B, C, and E. The Aloe Vera plant contains beta-carotene which provides anti-aging properties. It provides depigmentation, removes dark spots, and treats sunburn.
How to apply:
- Take Aloe Vera gel straight from the leaves and have it on clean cotton.
- Place that gel on the beauty marks.
- You fix it medical tap as well.
- After 3 to 4 hours — remove the cotton.
- You can use this Aloe Vera gel twice a day until beauty marks go
6. Buttermilk
You can rely on buttermilk to get rid of beauty marks. The alpha hydroxyl acid present in buttermilk helps to remove dead skins and lighten the dark spots. Don’t mix anything with buttermilk. Simply apply it with cotton balls.
How to apply:
- Pour buttermilk into the small bowl.
- Use a cotton ball to directly apply it to your dark spots.
- Keep it for 20 minutes and wash it off with clean water.
- You can use it every day.
To try something new, you can apply a mixture of buttermilk and tomato juice to your dark spots. You can keep it for half an hour.
7. Onion juice
Yes, we know that onions do not have the best odor, you don’t need to drink it or eat it. You will only require a few drops of onion juice. Onions consist of vitamin A, C, and E which protects our skin from sunburn. Onion juice helps to get rid of beauty marks and even out your skin tone.
How to apply:
- All you have to do is make an onion juice.
- Apply it on your beauty marks daily.
- Do this for one month and you will see the results.
- You can mix up onion juice with other ingredients as well.
- For example, you can apply a mixture of onion juice and garlic juice.
- Try onion juice with honey — it will moisturize your skin as well.
The thing to keep in your mind while undergoing Treatment:
1) Just like every person is different, every skin is unique. You should have realistic expectations and not get berserk by advertisements, results obtained in other patients, celebrities, etc.
2) A trained expert Cosmetic dermatologist with considerable years of experience should be your treating physician.
What Types of Birthmark Removal Procedures Are There?
Several birthmark removal techniques can safely and effectively remove vascular or pigmented birthmarks. Vascular birthmarks are a result of the clustering of blood vessels underneath the skin, while pigmented birthmarks happen when pigmented cells are over-concentrated in one area.
The procedures used to treat birthmarks will depend on the type of birthmark you have, and where it’s located. Laser resurfacing using either an ablative or non-ablative laser tool is suitable for both vascular birthmarks like port wine stains and salmon patches, and pigmented birthmarks like moles, cafe au lait marks, and Mongolian spots. Another birthmark removal technique called light therapy uses intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) to remove vascular birthmarks or flat, pigmented birthmarks. (Birthmarks types)
For many types of moles, the best form of treatment is to have them cut right out of the skin, using a variety of surgical techniques like shave excisions, punch excisions, and surgical excisions. These are typically simple surgical procedures that your doctor can perform to safely remove moles that go deeper than what can be treated with lasers or light therapies.
Children with pigmented moles called congenital nevi can benefit from a procedure called giant nevi removal surgery. The goal of giant nevi removal surgery is to remove the mole completely or at least as much as is possible.
Laser Birthmark Removal
Benefits of laser Treatments for Birthmark Removal:
- Laser treatments of birthmarks can last from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the size, shape, and intensity of the birthmark.
- The procedures are mostly performed at an in-office appointment or in a doctor’s surgical suite, based on the intensity of the treatment required.
- No hospital or overnight stay is required. (Birthmarks types)
- There is very little healing time after the removal of a birthmark. Though in some cases, tenderness or bruising may occur at the site of the birthmark, it fades within one week.
- Little bruising and tenderness might occur at the site of the birthmark, but it generally fades away within one week.
Moreover, there are minimal risks involved in laser birthmark removal. In few cases, uneven skin tone or dark areas of skin can occur. But most of these cosmetic risks can be rectified with a second laser treatment.
In rare cases, some bleeding, scabbing, and bruising can follow after the treatment. There are varied reasons why patients undergo birthmark removal from not liking their appearance to severe problems such as the increased risk of glaucoma or seizures.
Also read: Lump Behind The Ear: symptoms, Treatment And What To Do
White Spot Birthmark
Medical name: Hypopigmented macule
What it looks like: Many people call this a white spot, but this birthmark is often an area of skin that has less color than the baby’s surrounding skin. This spot can be raised or flat. It may be round, oval, or another shape. Some are leaf-shaped. (Birthmarks types)
Where it usually appears: Most develop on the chest, abdomen, back, or buttocks. They can also appear anywhere else on the skin.
Will it go away? Most disappear.