Birthmarks

Natural remedies

What are the different types of birthmarks?
Where do birthmarks come from?
Do you need to treat birthmarks?
Is it safe to have a birthmark removed?
Any birthmark remedies?
Does a birthmark change during pregnancy?
Birthmarks: other advice
Birthmarks: useful links

What are the different types of birthmarks?

There are two main categories of birthmarks: red birthmarks and pigmented birthmarks.

Red birthmarks are colored, blood vessel (vascular) skin markings that develop before or shortly after birth. The most common types of red birthmarks are:

Strawberry birthmark (has a raised red surface)
Portwine birthmark (lies flat against the skin)
Hemangiomas (have a reddish color are are usually present at birth or within a few months later)
Salmon patches or stork bites (pink and flat) - extremely common, appearing on 30-50% of newborns.

Pigmented birthmarks are:

Mongolian spots (usually bluish and appear as bruises)
Moles (growths on the skin that usually are flesh-colored, brown or black)
Congenital nevi (a brown to brownish black mark that is present at birth)
Cafe-au-Lait Spots (light tan or light brown spots that are usually oval in shape)

Where do birthmarks come from?

Most birthmarks are not inherited. A birthmark comes from an overproduction of coloring of the melanocytes, which are the cells responsible for skin pigmentation.
Red birthmarks are caused by dilation of blood vessels or when blood vessels don't form properly.
Pigmented birthmarks are caused by an overgrowth of the cells that create pigment in skin.

Also read What Causes Strawberry Birthmarks in Infants?

Do you need to treat birthmarks?

Most birthmarks usually fade, shrink or even disappear on their own. Only rarely does a birthmark needs treatment. But Sometimes birthmarks are associated with other health problems and need to be treated, so talk to your doctor about whether this might be the case.

There are several ways to fade, shrink, or remove some types of birthmarks. But some treatments can be dangerous, painful and they don't always work.

Is it safe to have a birthmark removed?

In some cases, birthmarks can also become a health risk and need to be removed because of their location.

Laser therapy is often used on birthmarks, such as port-wine birthmarks.
Moles, particularly large ones, often are surgically removed, though larger ones may be more difficult to remove.

In the encyclopedia of Natural Healing, Siegfried Gursche says that after a surgical birthmark removal, some people have noticed glandular swellings and other abnormalities all over the body, which were found to be malignant metastases. So, if a birthmark needs to be surgically removed, it is best to adopt a liver or cancer diet for two months in preparation for surgery.

Any birthmark remedies?

Some people have tried various natural remedies to fade a birthmark, but it works depending on the size, the location, the type of birthmarks.

A mix of vitamin E and orange oil can be rubbed over birthmarks
Icepack can help with blood circulation and tighten skin pores
Lemon juice or a regular massage with olive oil is said to lighten birthmarks

Does a birthmark change during pregnancy?

The hormonal shift does seem to have a darkening effect on birthmarks.
Skin pigmentation can appear during pregnancy due to hormonal imbalances. The only thing that can be done is supplementing the diet with a good multivitamin containing vitamin A, B, C, D and E. High copper levels in the body can  also cause pigmentation.

Birthmarks: other advice

Birthmarks should never be tampered with or irritated unnecessary because it could trigger trigger a melanoma. If your birthmark is itching, bleeding, or develop irregular edges, it might be a sign of a melanoma and should be removed as quickly as possible. So consult your doctor if your birthmark change color, size, shape.
Use a good quality sunscreen with a high SPF when outdoors in order to prevent complications.

Birthmarks: useful links

Frequently asked questions about birthmarks (birthmarks.com)
Helping kids deal with birthmarks (kidshealth.org)

Comments from the community (13)

"Ilikecheese" on 2012-02-05 at 04:07:47

Hi i have birth mark on my left hand and it comes with a small mole that you cant feel.im 11 and i want it removed.it makes me feel diffrent from others.its a brown birth mar. how can i remove it by myself with out any docter help or laser

"help" on 2011-11-14 at 22:33:00

i have 30mm by 15mm-ish pink birthmark on my cheek and want to try some home remedies before going for laser treatment. Does anyone know if the Lemon juice actually works? thanks :)

"jhanz" on 2011-11-12 at 03:04:43

i also tried lemon juice a remedy to lighten my birthmark, but i still finding some home treatment...help me pls!!!!

"nika" on 2011-10-24 at 17:48:51

i have a large cafe-au-lait on my breast i want to know how to remove it . in a natural way, please give me a answer

"C..." on 2011-10-16 at 00:00:00

i have a huge birthmark of 30cm on my left inner thigh it is very brown and.i can't wear skirt or dress during summer.and i have a very low self confidence bcz of it...i feel different from others...n this makes me so frustrated...plz what can i do to fade it ? what lightening ingredients will be more effective?

"Janine" on 2011-10-11 at 17:38:45

I have neurofibromatosis. It's a condition where I have spots ALL OVER MY BODY. I have suffered this all my 22 years of life. Even at this age, I'm still self conscious. It intervenes with expressing my sexuality or just going out in general. Every time I buy clothes, I buy it based on how much it will reveal. Not only do I have spots, I have fibromas sticking out my skin at certain locations. I want my pigmented birthmarks removed. Fast. They are mainly cafe au lait spots. Does anyone have remedies for this? This disease is like killing me in slow motion.

"pseudo" on 2011-09-28 at 17:18:19

i have a birthmark on my chest&i hate having it right where everyone can see! so i usually don't wear low cut shirts or even normal shirts i get to parinoid with people seeing it, i just wish i could wear a regular shirt without worrying about that. i know people tell me it's all in my head&since i'm a teenager it makes me more concouis about that, but i feel like i'm always going to hate it...does anyone have any good suggestions on what to use to fade it out or even make it dissapear?

"hi ""a"" on 2011-09-23 at 06:21:14

hi "a", my daughter is 5 months old having the birth mark exactly like what u were describing. one of my family doctor is suspecting visual disorders in future and im worried. have u experienced anything of that sort? your response will really soothe my anxiety. also, if u can give ur email id i will mail u my daughter's pics so that u can tell whether it matches urs or not. thx very much yaar! bye; my email id: mallik7081@gmail.com

"a" on 2011-08-19 at 00:00:00

I have a very large café au lait birthmark all along my left hand and on the left part of my chest and my back. Although I wear what I want (tee-shirts, sleeveless and stapeless clothes that show really my big birthmark) I want to remove it so badly because it bothers me especially when my friends say "it's pity; you are really beautiful and you have a very nice body but this birthmark.....". This does not mean that do not love me as I am because they are my friends. I want to feel that I am normal person. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO!

"..." on 2011-03-20 at 00:06:11

i want to find a way to fade my birthmark it is under my lip and it is like an inch big its horrible

"ambekay" on 2011-02-23 at 00:00:00

@ efp23 - Lemon juice needs to be put on 3-4 times a day for 4 weeks. It helped fade my birthmark (20mm wide & 50 mm long near the corner of my lip UGH!) but I only did this for 2 weeks and it came back so make sure you do it ALL 4 WEEKS!!! p.s. you probably have a cafe-au-late spot, mine's a congenital nevi. Good luck with yours (but I'm sure since it's really small and light it should be easy to fade)

"ambekay" on 2011-02-23 at 00:00:00

oops, I meant to say I have a cafe one like you oops! It's not a nevi (thank god coz those are all mole-ish eww!)

"efp23" on 2011-01-05 at 21:46:11

im 14 and i want to remove my birthmark, it's about 7mm long and 4mm wide its light brown and a sort of oval shape, i've tried lemon juice but i dont know how frequently to do it, any ideas? or other ones i can do at home. Thanks

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