Birthmarks can generally be divided into pigmented and vascular types. Common pigmented types include nevus of Ota, congenital pigmented nevus, coffee spots, etc.; vascular types include nevus of bright redness, strawberry hemangioma, etc. Birthmarks can be found at birth or may develop gradually after a few months of life. The incidence of birthmarks in newborns is about 10%, which can be said to be very common. Most of the birthmarks only affect the aesthetics and do not need special treatment. However, some birthmarks can be combined with abnormalities of body organs and even have the possibility of malignant changes, which must be treated actively. Capital Medical University Xuanwu Hospital Cosmetic Dermatology Lian Shi
1.Mongolian spot
These birthmarks are flat, smooth, and present at birth, and are commonly found on the buttocks or waist. They are mostly light blue and may also be blue-gray or blue-black. This birthmark looks like a bruise and is common among yellow people, and usually fades away before school age.
2.Coffee spots
The color is like coffee with milk, brownish. These birthmarks are mostly oval in shape and appear mostly on the trunk, buttocks and legs. It gradually becomes larger and darker with age, and usually does not cause health problems. If several birthmarks larger than a coin appear at the same time, it is likely to be related to neurofibroma.
3.Nevus of Ota
It is a kind of grayish-blue patchy damage that affects the sclera and the same side along the ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve, and it occurs in people of color, such as oriental people and black people. It is more common in women. The age of onset is two peaks in infancy and adolescence, with 61.35% of cases occurring within one year of age.
4.Pigmented nevus
It is a benign neoplasm composed of nevus cells, also known as nevus cell nevus, cell nevus, melanocytic nevus, and nevus. This disease is common and almost everyone has it, and it can occur from infancy to old age, and the number increases with age, often increasing significantly during youth development.
5.Pigmented hairy epidermal nevus
Also known as Baker’s nevus, it is mostly seen in adolescents. The lesions are usually found on the shoulders, scapular region and forehead. The lesions are initially light brown and brown patches, palm-sized or larger, with clear boundaries and irregular borders. The lesions appear several years later as coarse hairs. The lesions develop gradually with age and become stable in adulthood.
6.Sebaceous gland nevus
It is a kind of misshapen tumor composed of sebaceous glands, also called organoid nevus. Sebaceous nevus is more common and develops at birth or shortly after birth, usually on the head, face or neck, especially on the scalp.
7.Capillary hemangioma (strawberry-like hemangioma)
This birthmark usually appears on the face, scalp, back or chest, and is mostly red or purple. Strawberry hemangioma usually forms a few weeks after birth and may not protrude from the skin, or may be a soft strawberry-shaped mass slightly above the skin. Although they do not disappear, they have no impact on health.
8.Cavernous hemangioma
Like a light blue sponge tissue filled with blood. It usually appears under the skin on the head or neck, and if it grows deeper, the skin overlying it looks unaltered and will disappear before puberty.
The above birthmarks usually do not need treatment.
9.Vivid red nevus
About 1/3 of newborns will have this birthmark. It is a small, pale red rash that appears mostly on the back of the neck, between the eyes, forehead and on the eyelids. Most will fade away as the child grows older.
Birthmark Treatment
If the birthmark grows on the obvious parts of the face, hands and feet, it is troubling and some people have low self-esteem because of it, which will make the patient suffer a great psychological blow; especially for children, they are more likely to have low self-esteem or autistic tendency in the process of growing up. At present, the main means of treating birthmarks include pulsed light treatment, laser treatment, surgical treatment, etc.