WHAT IS THIS BIRTHMARK?
We just welcomed our fourth baby into the world so I have baby skin on my mind. Let’s talk about a few common birthmarks, each of which is on at least one of my own children.
COMMON TYPES OF BIRTHMARKS:
CAPILLARY MALFORMATIONS
You’ve seen these (you might actually have one of these and not know it). These are the pink flat marks you see in between the eyes, forehead, back of the neck, and sometimes in other locations. When on the forehead, it is colloquially known as an “Angel’s Kiss” and, on the back of the neck, a “Stork Bite.” This is the most common vascular lesion seen in infants.
Every single one of my children has had these at birth. Facial lesions typically fade within a couple of years, whereas they tend to stick around into adulthood on the back of the neck. I’ve noticed that a lot of my adult patients don’t even realize they still have these since they can’t see the back of their neck! Occasionally when these lesions are on the lower back over the sacrum they can indicate an underlying problem with the spinal cord, so make sure you’re pediatrician is aware of this if you notice one there. Otherwise, nothing to worry about!
NEVUS SEBACEUS
This is a yellow to a pink raised lesion that can be subtle at first and then starts to raise concern when it starts to grow around the time of puberty. This is because sebaceus is referring to the fact that it is comprised of lots of oil glands. During puberty, as hormones change, these oil glands become more active and start growing, causing the lesions to grow as well. When these lesions are in the scalp, they can cause a bald spot. Rarely, skin cancers can grow within these lesions but, for the most part, removal is cosmetic and only needs to be performed if they bother you. My son has one on his cheek. It’s fairly small so I’m just waiting to see how it changes over time. We might remove it, might not.
CAFE AU LAIT MACULE (CALM)
This is a brown patch that presents in childhood-sometimes at birth, sometimes a little later. These occur in 10-20% of the US population as a single lesion. They grow as a child grows but size should only change in proportion to that growth. IF they are growing larger, see a dermatologist. There are some syndromes that include multiple CALMs. Make sure your pediatrician takes a look at these to see if any additional screening needs to be done.
That was colorful-red, yellow, and brown. There are a lot more birthmarks out there. Most are fine and not concerning but it’s always best to bring this up with your pediatrician so you know if there are any future concerns with a particular birthmark. If needed, you can also see a dermatologist for a second opinion.
Man, my new baby’s skin is smooth. If I find a cream that will make your skin feel like his, you’ll be the first to know about it!
Dr. Innes is a board-certified dermatologist and skin, nail, and hair expert in Layton, Utah. If you would like to schedule an appointment, call 801-773-4865 or schedule online by going to tannerclinic.com/appointments. You can learn more at https://tannerclinic.com/dermatology or on social media (Follow @thefrugalderm on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube).
