Have you ever wondered about that mole or patch on your skin that’s been there since birth? How these were formed and do all birthmarks really last for life? Let’s demystify birthmarks and unravel the science behind them.
What are birthmarks?
Birthmarks are spots, patches or lumps that looks different from the rest of the baby’s skin. Some birthmarks appear shortly after birth.
Appearance
Birthmarks come in many shapes and colors. They may be the size of a pinhead or cover a large area of your child’s skin. A birthmark can be pink, red, tan, brown or any other color. Some look like a bruise. Others look like a stain on the skin.
How long do they exist?
Birthmarks like salmon patches and hemangiomas fade on their own while moles remain on the skin for life.
Debunking myths about their formation
It’s often said that birthmarks are formed when a pregnant woman ignores a food craving, touches her belly while worried or eats certain foods. This is a total myth!
According to scientists, different types of birthmarks are formed in different ways. The possible causes include:
- Improper formation of blood vessels: This leads to the formation of birthmarks like strawberry hemangiomas, deep hemangiomas, Port-wine stains or salmon patches
- Clumping of melanocytes (cells that give skin its color): Leads to the formation of moles or café-au-lait spots
- Overgrowth of certain parts of skin: Leads to the development of a nevus sebaceous
Source: Birthmarks: Overview - AAD
Do birthmarks lead to physical insecurities and when should cosmetic correction be considered?
MBH/AB