Are Birthmarks Bad?

Birthmarks are incredibly common marks on the skin that appears on a baby while they are in utero. More than 1 in 10 babies are born with some sort of birthmark on their skin. There are two types of birthmarks, pigmented birthmarks and vascular birthmarks.

Pigmented Birthmarks

A pigmented birthmark is a birthmark that has a color to it, whether it is pink, brown, black and anything in between. Some examples of a pigmented birthmarks are moles, cafe-au-lait spots, and mongolian spots.

Vascular Birthmarks

A vascular birthmark can be understood as a reddish birthmark that appears on the skin due to the clumps of extra blood vessels in the body. Some examples of vascular birthmarks are strawberry hemangiomas, salmon patches, and port wine stains.

While all birthmarks appear at birth, depending on what type of birthmark you or your child have will determine whether it will gradually shrink in size, enlarge in size or go away completely. For example, the cafe-au-lait spot, which is french for “coffee with milk” are pigmented birthmarks that can slowly fade overtime but do not go away completely. Another example would be strawberry hemangiomas, which are vascular birthmarks that appear very red and bumpy at birth, but tend to gradually flatten and go away on their own, with little to no mark left behind. While birthmarks are incredibly common and normal for the most part, it is important to monitor any changes on your skin. It is imperative to be proactive about your skin health.

If you are interested in learning more about the different types of birthmarks click here. Consider consulting with a dermatologist if you have any mark on your body that has increased in size, color, bleed or itch because these are symptoms of becoming something much more serious.