Pigmented birthmarks

Through understanding, I realized that some foreign bodies growing on the body are also divided into different types, and not all foreign bodies are of the same type. Therefore, if people want to solve the problem of foreign bodies on the skin, they must understand what type of foreign bodies they have. Some people are born with foreign objects on their bodies, which are often called birthmarks. There are also pigmented birthmarks. Let’s learn more about them in detail.

1. What is a birthmark?

If there is some abnormal development of the skin, resulting in growths that are different from normal skin in color and shape, this is called a "birthmark". There are 2 main types of birthmarks. One is pigmented birthmark, common ones include nevus of Ota and café-au-lait spots, etc.; the other is vascular birthmark, mainly port-wine stains and strawberry hemangiomas. Of course, most of them are harmless to health, but just detrimental to appearance; however, they may also be manifestations of diseases of certain organs in the body, which should not be taken lightly and should be treated.

2. Causes of birthmarks

The main causes of birthmarks are:

1. Environmental pollution: This is one of the most important factors, which is a certain mutation of the human body under long-term severe pollution conditions.

2. Living environment: Some bad lifestyles or habits, such as staying up late and irregular diet, may activate related factors in the body to a certain extent, thereby causing birthmarks.

3. Genetic factors: Some biologists believe that human chromosomes mutate, and this mutation is passed on to the next generation, leading to the formation of birthmarks.

4. Nutritional factors: The human body lacks certain trace elements or amino acids, which will cause pigment cells to secrete excessive pigment and spread to the epidermis, thus forming birthmarks.

3. Classification of birthmarks

Classification by morphology

Generally speaking, birthmarks can be divided into two categories:

1. Pigmented birthmarks

It grows on the surface of the skin and comes from the pigment secreted by mole cells. They can come in different shapes and sizes, most appear as tiny dots, but a few appear as large spots. It often occurs on the face, neck, back, etc., and usually appears in infants or young children. In most cases, pigmented birthmarks do not grow or grow very slowly, but they almost never fade away on their own.

2. Vascular birthmarks

It is essentially a vascular malformation. It can be further divided into capillary hemangioma, cavernous hemangioma and racemose hemangioma, especially the first two which are common. It is common in newborns, and the main sites of occurrence are the facial skin and subcutaneous tissue, oral mucosa, such as the tongue, lips, and mandible, and a small number of cases also occur inside the jaw.

· Sort by color

According to the color classification, the common birthmarks are mainly the following:

1. Red birthmark

It is a red plaque produced by capillary tumors. It is innate as a result of genetic changes. Most of them grow on the face and neck, and are mostly dark red or orange in color. It only grows on the surface of the skin and does not protrude from the body surface. Generally, it will not affect the surrounding tissues. Common red birthmarks include strawberry hemangioma, port-wine stain, cavernous hemangioma, etc.

2. White birthmark

Also known as depigmented macule, it is caused by the lack of melanin in the skin. It is often seen in the chest, abdomen, back and other parts of the body. There is no pain, itching or other abnormal sensations, and there is no desquamation or fluid exudation. Since white birthmarks are closer to human skin color, they are not easy to be found. Common white birthmarks include epidermal birthmark, sebaceous birthmark, etc.

3. Blue birthmark

It often appears on the forehead, nose, cheeks, eye sockets and other parts, and may appear on both sides at the same time. Some birthmarks may even spread to the cornea, conjunctiva or retina. There are spots of different colors and depths, such as blue and brown, and the color in the center is darker than the edges. Common blue birthmarks include: Ota birthmark, Ito birthmark, blue birthmark, etc.

4. Black birthmark

The main ones are melanocytic nevus, congenital hair-related melanocytic lentigines, etc.