Different Types Of Birthmarks And Their Symptoms

• Superficial Infantile Hemangioma

This is also known as “strawberry hemangioma”, it looks like a firm and rubbery lump with strawberry colour. Sometimes, in place of a lump, you might see strawberry-coloured patches or patch on your baby’s skin.

This birthmark grows very quickly whether, in the form of a lump or a patch, it continues growing until the child is about 4 to 6 months old while some grow for a longer time. When this birthmark stops growing, it might start shrinking or remain the same.

But with time, all strawberry hemangioma shrink. The colour will change to that of a slate grey as they shrink and the birthmark also starts getting soft. The skin may break down when the birthmark shrinks; this can cause pain and other discomforts.

If this happens, visit our Dermatologist Harley Street London  immediately! We will provide the right treatment to stop the pain to hasten the healing process. We will also handle the wound professionally to avoid complications.

Strawberry hemangioma can appear anywhere on the skin, but it is commonly found on the neck and head of babies. It can also develop in moist areas of the body like the anus and inside the mouth.

This birthmark usually goes away on its own without any treatment; it leaves just a little evidence that it was there. About 10% of this birthmark disappears by the age of 1, while the remaining 90% disappears when the child is about 10 years old.

• Cavernous Infantile Hemangioma

Another name for this is “deep hemangioma”, and it appears like a lump that sits deep into the skin — it might be bluish-purple in colour or skin-coloured, and you might also see blood vessels which appear as thin red lines.

When you touch this birthmark, it feels firm and warm. A deep hemangioma can grow quickly, and it can continue growing for up to a year. The growth can stop slowly, and it can also stop suddenly.

This birthmark can be painful while it is growing, some can break open and bleed. Make sure you book an appointment with us if this happens. You will meet a dermatologist London.

A deep hemangioma can develop anywhere on the skin, and most of them fade on their own, but it takes a long period. About half of it disappears at 5 years of age while 90% of it fades away when the child is 10 years of age.

It can leave a bright scar or light spot on the skin as it fades.

• Nevus Simplex

This birthmark is also known as a salmon patch, and it is a flat spot or patch which is red, pink, or salmon-coloured. The colour tends to fade if you press gently on this birthmark. Also, the colour of this birthmark becomes more noticeable when your baby cries, feel irritated, or becomes overheated.

Babies with nevus simplex have patches or spots. It is called an “angel’s kiss” when it appears on the face, and it is called a “stork’s bite” when it appears on the back of the neck.

Nevus simplex can be found anywhere on the skin, but it is commonly found on the face or back of the neck. This birthmark disappears from the face when your baby is between 1 to 3 years of age, but when it appears on the back of your baby’s neck or elsewhere, it does not disappear completely, it just fades.

• Café-au-lait Macule Spot

It is pronounced as café-oh-lay; it is characterised by a black spot that is darker than the rest of your child’s skin. The colour is uniform, and you can see the border. The colour of this birthmark varies; it ranges from coffee to milk on fair skin and that of black coffee on dark skin.

The size also varies greatly; it can be the size of a freckle or cover a large area of your baby’s skin. Most children have just one spot, but some can have more than one.

You should see us if your child has six or more café-au-lait spots. Also, if you notice spots like freckles gathering around a café-oh-lait spot, you have to meet with our dermatologist immediately to rule out serious skin problems.

This birthmark can be found anywhere on the skin, but it usually appears on the buttocks, and it does not fade, it remains on the skin for life. If this birthmark on your baby is on a visible place, book an appointment with us – our dermatologist London will have a good look at it and tell you if treatment is needed.

• Congenital Melanocytic Nevus

This birthmark is commonly known as a mole; it can cover a large area of your baby’s skin or appear as a small spot; it might feel warty, smooth or like cobblestones. Moles come in various colours, but the most common ones are tan or brown.

This birthmark can appear anywhere on the body, and it can also appear later in life. Just a few of them disappear, but most of them remain for life.

You should visit our dermatology clinic London to check this birthmark because serious cases of skin cancer like melanoma can develop into moles. Our dermatologist London will check it and rule out cases of skin cancer and if it is, treatment will commence immediately.

• Dermal Melanocytosis

Also known as Mongolian spot, this birthmark looks like a bruise which can be light-blue, blue-grey or dark blue. Babies with this birthmark might have one spot or several, and they vary in size.

All races can have this birthmark, but it is more common in white-skinned people and Asians. It can appear anywhere on the skin, but it is mostly found on the back or buttocks.

It often goes away by the time your child is 3 to 5 years of age, but it can still follow some into adulthood.

• Nevus Flemmeus

This birthmark is commonly known as “Port-wine stain”, it appears as patch or spots, and it can be purple, red, or pink. The birthmark gets thick and dark when the child grows, and it might develop ridges.

Port-wine stain can sometimes feel like cobblestones on the skin – It can appear anywhere on the body, but it is mostly found on the face, and it stays for life on the skin without treatment.

• Organoid Hamartoma

It is also called Nervus sebaceous. It is pronounced as knee-vus-she-bay-ceaous, and this birthmark varies with the age of your child. It can develop on the scalp of your baby; when this happens, it appears as a hairless and slightly raised patch.

Your baby’s hair will grow around it, and as the hair grows, the birthmark might change or remain the same. It is most likely to change during puberty and teenage age; it may get thick and change colour to orange or slightly yellow and the surface might feel warty or pebbly.

It can develop on any part of the body but common places where you find this birthmark are the neck, face, and scalp.

• Hypopigmented Macule

This birthmark is commonly known as white spots, but what happens is that an area of the skin has less colour than the surrounding skin. The spot can be flat or raised, and the shape varies.

It can be leaf-shaped, round, or oval. It can be found anywhere on the body, but it is commonly found on the chest, buttocks, back, and abdomen. Most of it disappears with time.