What Are Birthmarks? What Are Their Different Types?

1. Vascular birthmarks are caused by irregular blood vessels under the skin
2. Pigmented birthmarks, which are caused by too many pigments in the skin

Birthmarks can be brown, black, pink, or red in color, and can appear at any place in the body.

Are Birthmarks Harmful?

Most birthmarks are harmless and would not cause any harm in the future too. However, at times, they might be a sign of some underlying condition (Read the different types of birthmarks in the below section and assess which one your baby has). And even when it does not indicate an underlying medical problem, birthmarks can still cause emotional trauma if they appear on the face and are big enough to impact the cosmetic look.

What Are The Different Types Of Birthmarks?

While the birthmarks can be broadly classified as vascular or pigmented, there are 10 different kinds of birthmarks within these categories. Some of them are more prevalent in Caucasian kids and not seen frequently among Asians. Similarly, some of them are observed more in Asians.

1. Mongolian Spot

This is more common among Asians and Indians as it is prevalent among dark-skinned babies. It is harmless and appears as a dark bruise on the lower back or over the buttocks. It fades with time and usually disappears by the time the child is four.

2. Pigmented Nevi Mark

This is a “mole” for us laymen. This is very common with one in every 100 babies being born with at least one of them. Many of them get it even after birth. They can be brown or black in color and vary in size and shape. It can occur anywhere on the skin and usually lasts a lifetime. They are also harmless and require no treatment whatsoever.

3. Café au Lait Spot

This is another harmless birthmark that can appear anywhere on the body. They are characterized by areas of brown skin, darker than the skin color. They usually grow bigger as child grows. Your child might have one or two of them, and this is normal.

However, if he has more than 4, then it is an indication that he might have a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis. Again, in many cases, neurofibromatosis is harmless. But it can also cause a lot of problems in certain cases. So it is best to check with your baby’s doctor.

4. Congenital Melanocytic Nevus

This can be best described as a large mole. They will be light brown in color if your baby is fair-skinned and black in color if your baby is dark-skinned. They can be of any shape but are more often irregular in shape. The texture can be lumpy. While the cancer risk in most cases is minimal, if the size of the mole is very large, then there is a higher probability of cancer.

5. Port Wine Birthmark

This is a vascular birthmark and hence a dark red or purple tinge. It can be as small as few millimeters and as large as several centimeters. Technically, they can appear anywhere on the body, but it is most commonly seen in face and neck region. This is, unfortunately, not a harmless birthmark. In many cases, it points towards abnormalities in the eye and in some cases, even brain problems. It should not be left untreated.

6. Hemangioma

They are red and raised above the skin – making them look almost like a strawberry. They will grow rapidly in the first six months, then start fading. In the majority of the cases, the child will lose them by the 7th year and requires no treatment. Sometimes it might affect the child’s vision, breathing, or feeding and in those cases, the doctor might suggest treatment.

7. Venous Malformations

These are rare appearances of deeply tangled blood vessels. They are bigger in size and more raised above the skin than regular vascular birthmarks. Since they do not fade away with time, they usually require medication and treatment.

8. Dysplastic Nevi

These are otherwise called atypical moles. These are moles that appear in large numbers and cover a considerable area of skin. There is a high probability of this developing into melanoma, so immediate medical attention is advised

9. Nevus Sebaceous

Watch out for this one. Although rare, it can develop into basal cell skin cancer at a later stage. The good news is that, it can be surgically removed at an early age, thereby wiping out the chances of cancer. They appear mostly on scalps or faces and have a yellow flat plaque-like appearance

10. Telangiectatic Nevus

This is another vascular birthmark and is caused by the expansion of blood capillaries. It is often called a salmon path because of its shape. Other names include “angel kiss” (when it appears on the face) and “stork bite” (when it appears behind the neck). They usually fade with the years.

So clearly there are many different kinds of moles, many of them harmless, and some of them may require medical intervention. While there is no need to panic, it is advisable to understand different kinds of moles and watch out for them on your child’s skin.