Birthmarks

Why Do We Have Birthmarks?

What are birthmarks?
Birthmarks are colored skin spots that either are present at birth or develop shortly after birth. Birthmarks can be many different colors, including brown, tan, black, pale blue, pink, white, red, or purple. Some birthmarks are only colorations of the surface of the skin; others are raised above the surface of the skin or extend into the tissues under the skin.

What causes birthmarks?
The cause of most birthmarks is unknown. Most birthmarks are not inherited. Many folk tales and myths exist about the causes of birthmarks, but none of these stories have been proven to explain the true causes of birthmarks.

Do birthmarks need to be treated?

Most birthmarks need no treatment. They often fade as a child grows older. However, some birthmarks may need treatment because of their location. For example, a raised birthmark near a child’s eye may interfere with his or her ability to see. In rare cases, birthmarks are associated with other conditions, such as growths on the liver, lungs, stomach, or intestines.

Are there different types of vascular birthmarks?
Many different types of vascular birthmarks appear at birth or perhaps a few weeks after birth. The most common vascular birthmarks are stork marks, telalngienctasia, port wine stains, and haemangiomas.

What are port wine stain birthmarks?
Port wine stain birthmarks are a type of blood vessel that abnormally develops on the skin. These port wine birthmarks are permanent and do not go away. The occurrance of port wine stain birthmarks are three per one thousand children. Girls are more prone than boys to port wine birthmarks.Typically these baby birthmarks may darken with age and thicken with raised bumps, and also increase in size in proportion to the child’s growth. Baby birthmarks have no genetic link.