Are birthmarks marks that you are born with?

Not entirely

Not all "marks present at birth" are birthmarks.

Birthmark is a common name, which usually refers to various marks that appear on the skin of babies when they are born or shortly after birth. These marks can be black, red, white or other colors. If we classify various birthmarks, they can be roughly divided into two categories: pigmented and vascular. Pigmented birthmarks are formed by the accumulation of special melanocytes or melanin in the skin, while vascular birthmarks are caused by the proliferation or malformation of blood vessels.

From the above definition, we can see that some birthmarks are not present at birth, but appear some time after birth, some may take a few days, weeks, or even months. For example, some infantile hemangiomas or congenital pigmented nevi may take some time to gradually appear and develop to a level that is obvious to the naked eye.

On the other hand, some marks that are present at birth should not be collectively referred to as birthmarks, but other issues should be considered. For example, some children are born with two whorls on their scalp, and some children are born with secondary ears in front of their ears. These are considered physiological variations. Other marks are related to skin diseases, such as sebaceous nevus, which manifests as a small yellow patch on the scalp at birth, and no hair grows on it.

So, while many birthmarks are present at birth, not all are. Birthmarks can appear some time after birth, and not all birthmarks are considered birthmarks.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital