Overview
Facial birthmarks appear in all colors, shapes and sizes. While most marks are harmless, according to the Mayo Clinic, some require immediate removal due to potential for growth or interference with the normal functions of the nose, mouth or ears. Still other birthmarks enlarge and darken as the person ages, becoming a mark that can no longer be hidden with cosmetics.
Birthmarks
Birthmarks occur naturally, and medical studies have yet to pinpoint the exact cause for the individual marks. Nemours KidsHealth reports many marks are the result of inherited genetic patterns and cannot be prevented. The birthmarks are not related to actions before birth, and are not caused by fetal damage. According to the Mayo Clinic, common facial birthmarks include the port-wine stain and cafe au lait spot. This group of marks is visible by its pale purple- or coffee-colored stains. The size of these permanent marks varies greatly from a tiny pinpoint to large irregular patterns. In addition to the face, the marks can occur on other parts of the body.
Minor Birthmarks
Not all birthmarks are present at birth, but most appear in the first few weeks of life. While some marks, such as petechiae, skin mottling and cephalohematoma (a section of blood that collects under the newborn’s skull), are present at birth and disappear in the first few months of life, most birthmarks remain on the skin throughout a lifetime. Some birthmarks change color, from light to dark, and enlarge over time.
Problem Birthmarks
The American Cancer Society reports that some facial birthmarks, particularly the raised, rough marks with irregular shapes and borders, may transform into skin cancer. Careful examination should be made of this category of birthmarks once a week during bathing. Regular annual dermatologist visits should target these marks for changes in color, shape and texture. Any itching or bleeding should be immediately investigated by a medical professional, according to the Cancer Society. Hemangioma and vascular birthmarks, in which blood collects in patches under the skin, appear 80 percent of the time on the head and neck, according to the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation. This class of birthmarks appears at or immediately after birth. Although these marks appear more often in low-weight births, the exact cause or the development of the birthmarks is not clear.
Minor Treatments
Nemours KidsHealth states some facial birthmarks are voluntarily removed in youth due to social insecurities and teasing by peers. Cosmetic procedures for small birthmarks involves the use of lasers. Studies at the Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California Irvine, report that laser removal for port wine stain birthmarks is rarely satisfactory, especially for facial marks due to the “regeneration and revascularization of photocoagulated blood vessels associated with the skin’s normal wound healing response,” according to Institute researchers.
Major Surgery
Hemangioma birthmarks may quickly develop into a “deep hemangioma” where a small flat red spot or bluish patch of skin grows into a skin deformity after growing for 18 months to 10 years. The reason some hemangiomas grow and others decline in size is unknown. The Vascular Birthmarks Foundation recommends intervention before the facial growth grows into a deformity, but this is not always possible with some rapid-growing tumors. Hemangiomas that interfere with breathing, eating, seeing or hearing require immediate surgery to remove the birthmark growth. Surgical procedures used to remove the hemangioma include traditional surgical removal with a scalpel as well as laser procedures. Depending on the size and depth of the hemangioma, plastic surgery may be necessary to repair the skin damage.
