Birthmark, formed on the skin; These are spots that can be noticed during or shortly after birth. However, some birthmarks, such as white hair, may not be noticed until the baby is a few months old, as they affect the hair. Although many babies are born with birthmarks, it is extremely rare for them to become a problem. Very few birthmarks require medical attention. However, some people may also want to remove the birthmark in adulthood for cosmetic reasons. You can follow the rest of the article for other topics you are wondering about birthmarks.
What is a Birthmark?
Birthmark is a change in skin pigmentation that is evident at the time of birth or shortly after this event. describe the lesions in which it occurs. Birthmark lesions with many subtypes are generally harmless.
Birthmark is among the frequently detected conditions. Various studies indicate that approximately 1 in 10 babies have a birthmark. Some types of birthmark are detected more frequently than other types. For example, vascular birthmarks such as hemangiomas are among the most common birthmark types. Apart from these birthmarks, although rare, other types of birthmarks such as port wine stains may also occur.
What are the Types of Birthmarks?
Birthmarks in themselves are basically vascular and pigmented. analyzed by category. Vascular birthmarks are birthmarks that result from abnormalities of blood vessels located under the skin, and these lesions can usually occur in pink-red color. Pigmented birthmarks are color abnormalities that occur as a result of pigmentation changes on the skin. Pigmented birthmarks are usually in the form of brown birthmarks. Some may also occur in black or blue tones.
Hemangiomas, lesions called stork bites and port wine stain are among the types of birthmarks of vascular origin. Hemangiomas that form in a layer close to the skin surface occur in the neck or face area as pink or red. These lesions usually begin as a raised bump on the skin and enlarge within months after birth. continues that. Many hemangiomas regress spontaneously over time. Birthmarks, called stork bite or angel kiss, appear as a flat lesion on the skin, even if they are red or pink in color like hemangiomas. This type of birthmark, which usually occurs on the face and nape, may become more prominent when the baby cries or cries. Port wine stain, occurring in a variable color scale from pink to purple; These are lesions that grow as the child grows and are raised from the skin. Pigmented birthmarks, another type of birthmark, are subdivided into cafe au lait spots, mongolian patches or congenital moles. Cafe au lait (coffee with milk birthmarks, cafeola) spots are detected as flat lesions with a darker brown color than their surroundings. This white birthmark can occur on any part of the body. Cafe au lait stains are among permanent birthmarks such as port wine stains. Mongolian (mongolian) spot is a gray-blue color birthmark and is a type of birthmark that is often confused with bruises after crushing. This type of pigmented birthmark usually occurs on the hips and lumbar region. Mongolian spot usually tends to fade on its own over time. Congenital moles, another type of pigmented birthmark, refer to brown moles that are present at birth. These lesions, which may be at the same level as the skin or may occur as slightly raised, can occur in any part of the body. Many congenital moles tend to be permanent.
What Causes Birthmarks?
It's just an urban legend that there is a connection between birthmark development and unrestrained cravings during pregnancy. Birthmarks are lesions that are not caused by any reason during pregnancy and usually the underlying cause of their formation cannot be revealed. Some birthmarks may originate from rare genetic mutations. Some children born with port wine stains Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome, which was detected in Turkey, is one of the examples of this situation. In addition to the large number of pigmented birthmarks in these patients, there is an increased risk of tumor development in structures related to the skin and nervous system. In Sturge Weber syndrome, another disorder in which port wine stain lesions are present, care should be taken as stroke-like conditions other than birthmarks and eye problems such as glaucoma may occur.
How Does a Birthmark Form?
The causes of the stain and how these lesions occur are among the issues that have not yet been fully elucidated. However, some of the factors that may be effective in the formation of pigmented and vascular birthmarks, which are the two main birthmark categories in general, are estimated. Vascular birthmarks generally consist of developmental anomalies of blood vessels located close to the skin level. These birthmarks have the appearance of a pink-red birthmark because they are blood vessels in origin. Pigmented birthmarks, on the other hand, are lesions originating from pigmentation changes that occur in a certain part of the skin.
Pigmentation change is caused by an increase in the level of a substance called melanin. The increase in melanin occurs especially in the regions where the melanocyte cells, which are responsible for the production of this substance, are clustered. Apart from these physiological mechanisms, some studies also suggest that various proteins secreted from the placenta during pregnancy may be effective in the formation of birthmark. varies by type. Drug use, laser treatment or surgical applications are the basic treatment approaches that can be applied within the scope of birthmark treatment. It should be noted that any application that can be made at home will not be effective for birthmarks. Any treatment input regarding birthmark Should it be performed by specialist physicians in healthcare institutions? effective in making it visible. Drug therapy is a treatment approach that is generally used in birthmark types such as hemangioma and can be effective in reducing the size of these lesions. In laser treatment, red-colored birthmarks such as port wine stains can be bleached. The beams emanating from the laser show their effect by eliminating or shrinking the blood vessels with the effect of heat. The age factor has an impact on the effectiveness of laser therapy. Considering the effectiveness of this treatment method, it is generally used for birthmark removal in babies. Birthmarks are lesions that generally do not adversely affect the general health status. However, if this situation disturbs the person cosmetically, various treatment methods can be applied. It should be noted that some of the results obtained with these treatment methods may not be permanent. If you are bothered by your birthmarks, you can apply to a health institution.
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