A lot of birthmarks are a result of an uneven or extra pigmentation of the baby’s skin, but some of them are blood vessels that don’t grow in the normal way.
There are several types of birthmarks and these include:
- Salmon Patches. Salmon patches are flat and most of them are pinkish or red in color. They usually appear on the nape, between the eyebrows, upper lip and eyelids. Salmon patches are also called angel kisses, stork bites, or macular stains.
- Congenital Moles. These are thin, black or brown spots of varying sizes and shapes, and they can grow on any part or area of the body.
- Cafe-Au-Lait Spots. These are smooth, oval-shaped birthmarks that grow on the torso, buttocks, or legs of the baby. The color of these spots can range from light brown to dark brown.
- Mongolian Spots. These are smooth, bluish or blue-gray spots that are not evenly shaped. This type of birthmark often grows on the baby’s buttocks and lower back.
- Hemagiomas. Hemangiomas can appear as red, blue, or purple spots that can grow anywhere on a person’s skin. These are raised birthmarks that originally grew as blood vessels but their abnormal growth transformed them into birthmarks.
- Port-Wine Stains. These are pinkish or red birthmarks that become darker as the child matures. Originally, port-wine stains are blood vessels that didn’t have a chance to grow normally. These birthmarks vary in sizes as some are small but some are big they can occupy a large part of the body.
A majority of birthmarks are painless and harmless and they are just there as additional features of your skin. Some can even fade away for no known reason. But for birthmarks that grow abnormally fast, are attached to an internal organ, or hamper normal activities such as breathing, seeing, speaking, or moving, there is a need for it to be checked by a medical professional.
Some birthmarks can be unsightly and it can possibly affect a child’s self-confidence. If you have a child who is conscious or bothered by his or her birthmark, you should take him or her to a counselor as soon as possible. Someone should let the child understand that he or she is a normal person. You should also schedule an appointment to your trusted doctor to see what can be done about the birthmark.