What Is A Birthmark?

A birthmark is a mark on the skin that is present at birth and which then does not go away. Birthmarks can occur at any part of the skin and they form in the last few weeks of development in the womb.

There are two main classes of birthmark – those formed by a different pigmentation in the skin – and those formed by an overgrowth or abnormal positioning of blood vessels. The first type of birthmark includes moles and Mongolian spots. The second type includes salmon patches, port wine stains and hemangiomas.

Birthmarks do not generally cause any health problems at all and they do not require treatment. However, the exception to this is if the birthmark is very large and on a very visible part of the body. A port wine stain birthmark that covers one half of the face, for example, could be treated using a skin laser.

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