WHAT IS BIRTH MARKS

A birthmark is a colored mark on or under the skin that'spresent at birth or develops shortly after birth.Some birthmarks fade withtime; others become more pronounced. Birthmarks may be caused by extra pigmentin the skin or by blood vessels that do not grow normally. Most birthmarks arepainless and harmless. In rare cases, they can cause complications or areassociated with other conditions. All birthmarks should be checked by a doctor.

"Stork bites" on the back of baby's neck.

Salmon Patches

Salmon patches are nests of blood vessels that appearas small, pink, flat marks on the skin. They occur in 1/3 of newborn babies.Salmon patches can appear on the back of the neck (“stork bite”), between theeyes (“angel's kiss”), or on the forehead, nose, upper lip, or eyelids. Somefade as baby grows, but patches on the back of the neck usually don't go away.Salmon patches require no treatment.

Port Wine Stains

A port wine stain begins as a flat, pinkish-red markat birth and gradually becomes darker and reddish-purple with age. Most willget bigger and thicker, too. Port wine stains are caused by dilated bloodcapillaries. Those on the eyelid may increase the risk of glaucoma. Port winestains may be a sign of other disorders, but usually not. Treatment includeslaser therapy, skin grafts, and masking makeup.

Mongolian spots often resemble bruises.

Mongolian Spots

Mongolian spots are flat, smooth marks that arepresent from birth. Frequently found on the buttocks or lower back, they'retypically blue, but can also be bluish gray, bluish black, or brown. They mayresemble a bruise. Mongolian spots are most common on darker-skinned babies.They usually fade by school age, but may never disappear entirely. No treatmentis required.
s born with cafe-au-lait spots may get more ofthem as they get older.

Cafe-Au-Lait Spots

Cafe-au-lait spots are smooth and oval and range incolor from light to medium brown, which is how they got their name, “coffeewith milk” in French. They're typically found on the torso, buttocks, and legs.Cafe-au-lait spots may get bigger and darker with age, but are generally notconsidered a problem. However, having several spots larger than a quarter islinked with neurofibromatosis and the rare McCune-Albright syndrome. Consult adoctor if your child has several spots.

Strawberry hemangioma is a bright red, commonbirthmark.

Strawberry Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas are a collection of small, closely packedblood vessels. Strawberry hemangiomas occur on the surface of the skin, usuallyon the face, scalp, back, or chest. They may be red or purple; they can be flator slightly raised, with sharp borders.

Strawberry hemangiomas usually develop a few weeksafter birth. They grow rapidly through the first year before subsiding aroundage 9. Some slight discoloration or puckering of the skin may remain at thesite. No treatment is required, but when desired, medicines and laser therapyare effective.

Cavernous hemangioma with capillary hemangiomas on theski

Cavernous Hemangiomas

Present at birth, deeper cavernous hemangiomas are justunder the skin and appear as a bluish spongy mass of tissue filled with blood.If they're deep enough, the overlying skin may look normal. Cavernoushemangiomas typically appear on the head or neck. Most disappear by puberty. Acombination of cavernous and strawberry hemangioma can occur.

Venous malformations have bluish color and swelling.

Venous Malformation

Venous malformations are caused by abnormally formed,dilated veins. Although present at birth, they may not become apparent untillater in childhood or adulthood. Venous malformations appear in 1% to 4% ofbabies. They are often found on the jaw, cheek, tongue, and lips. They may alsoappear on the limbs, trunk and internal organs, including the brain. They willcontinue to grow slowly, and they don't shrink with time. Treatment -- oftensclerotherapy or surgery -- may be necessary for pain or impaired function.

Actress Eva Mendes sports a "beauty mark" onher check.

Pigmented Nevi (Moles)

Moles occur when cells in the skin grow in a clusterinstead of being spread throughout the skin. They can appear anywhere on thebody, alone or in groups. Moles are usually flesh-colored, brown, or black.Moles may darken with sun exposure and during pregnancy. They tend to losecolor during adulthood and may disappear in old age. Most moles are not causefor alarm. However, moles may have a slightly increased risk of becoming skincancer. Moles should be checked by a doctor if:

They change size or shape

They look diffrent from other moles

They appear after age 20

Congenital nevi may have an increased risk ofdeveloping into melanoma.

Congenital Nevi

Congenital nevi are moles that appear at birth. Theskin texture may range from normal to raised, or nodular to irregular.Congenital nevi can grow anywhere on the body and vary in size --from a small1-inch mark to a giant birthmark covering half of the body or more. Smallcongenital nevi occur in 1% of newborns. Most moles are not dangerous. Butcongenital nevi, especially large ones, should always be evaluated by a doctorsince they may have an increased risk of becoming skin cancer.

Be aware of moles that look different from other moleson your skin.

Dysplastic Nevi (Atypical Moles)

Atypical moles are generally larger (one-quarter inchacross or more) than ordinary moles and have irregular and indistinct borders.They may resemble cancerous moles. They may have a mix of colors includingpink, red, tan and brown.These moles tend to be hereditary. Atypical moles havean increased chance of developing into melanoma skin cancer. Have a doctorevaluate all moles that look unusual, grow larger, or change in any way.