What are they?

A birthmark is a harmless skin blemish, caused by raised blood vessels just below the skin. They are not always present from birth, but tend to appear soon after. A birthmark can increase in size, although most tend to shrink after the first year. Some will even disappear altogether. There are many forms of birthmark. Here are the most common:

Strawberry mark

• This is the most common type of birthmark, affecting about 10% of all babies.
• They can appear anywhere on the body, though more than half affect the face.
• A strawberry mark first looks like a cluster of tiny pinpricks and grows (on average) to the size of a coin.
• Blood flows slowly through the vessels which form the birthmark, and because of this the affected area can often resemble the skin of a strawberry.
• 75% of all cases disappear during childhood.
• For long term sufferers, laser treatment is available.

Port wine stain

• Port wine stains are dark, flat, and permanent.
• Caused by the clustering of tiny arteries, veins or capillaries, which give rise to a purple appearance.
• A port wine stain is physically harmless, and in some cases removal by laser treatment is possible.
• They are far less common than strawberry marks, however, affecting one in every thousand people.

Updated: 08/05/2009