Most people have birthmarks on their bodies. They appear shortly after the birth of the child and remain with him for life. As a rule, such changes in the skin are not a cause for concern. However, a birthmark on the face can cause serious psychological distress. In this publication, we will talk about the nature of such skin changes and whether it is worth getting rid of them.
What is a birthmark?
A birthmark on the face (or other part of the body) is a benign growth with well-defined boundaries, which, as a rule, is darker than the rest of the skin. In medicine, they are also called nevi. They are made up of many melanocytes - cells that contain a large amount of the natural pigment melanin.
Birthmarks appear on the human body shortly after birth (sometimes in adolescence). In some cases, pigmented areas appear on the skin of women during pregnancy.
Views
Bmodern medicine distinguishes the following types of birthmarks:
- specific and non-specific moles of epidermal-melanocytic origin;
- dermal-melanocytic birthmarks;
- melanocytic moles;
- spots of mixed origin.
Let's consider each variety in more detail.
Spots of epidermal-melanocytic origin
Nevus borderline - a non-specific type of birthmark, which can be localized on the inside of the hand, on the feet, as well as on the female and male genital organs. Such formations, as a rule, are small in size (up to 1 cm). People who have a borderline nevus need regular follow-up with a dermatologist. This is due to the fact that such formations can turn from benign to malignant over time.
Intradermal nevus is a fairly common type of birthmarks. As a rule, it has the shape of a hemisphere and medium size (1-2 cm).
Epithelioid nevus is a specific type of benign tumors on the skin. As a rule, such a birthmark occurs on the face and has a red-brown tint. Moles of this type are characterized by rapid growth and are highly susceptible to mechanical damage.
Setton's nevus is a birthmark on the head or other part of the body, surrounded by a depigmented (discolored) area. Such moles most often appear in children with autoimmune diseases, as well as in pregnant women.
Spots of dermal-melanocyticorigin
Mongolian spot - an accumulation of melanocytes on large areas of the skin in newborns. Such formations may have a brownish or bluish tint (in some cases they look like hematomas). Mongolian spots are characterized by a rapid change in size. By the age of two, they become almost invisible in children, and by five they disappear altogether.
Nevus of Ota is a small dark blue formation. In most cases, such a birthmark occurs on the face (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe eyes, cheeks or upper jaw). In addition, the nevus of Ota may appear on the mucous membranes.
Nevus of Ito - this type of dermal-melanocytic formations has a clinical picture similar to the previous type, but differs from it in its localization. Nevus of Ito occurs on the lower and upper extremities.
Dysplastic nevus
Dysplastic nevus is a type of mole of melanocytic origin. It can be localized on the trunk, arms. It is very rare to find such a birthmark on the head. Dysplastic nevus can take on different shades, from red to brownish blue.
It is worth noting that birthmarks of this type are inherited. The main danger of their appearance lies in the fact that dysplastic nevi, more than other moles, are prone to degeneration into malignant formations.
Do I need to remove birthmarks on my body?
Everyone whose torso or head is decorated with such "drawings of nature" wonders: is it possible to remove birthmarks on the body? Meaningthis issue is increasingly intensified if the moles are located on the face. So, are there safe methods for removing birthmarks?
The correct and effective way to treat such a skin pathology can only be prescribed by a dermatologist. If you find a mole on your body and want to get rid of it, in no case do not use traditional methods. Thus, you will not only not remove a birthmark on your face (or torso), but also harm your body.
Modern medicine offers several ways to reduce and remove congenital dermatological pathologies. We will look at the main ones.
Laser therapy
This treatment is usually used to reduce a large birthmark on the head or face. In this case, the mole or pigmented area is treated with point pulses. Due to this, the pathological formation decreases in size, but does not disappear completely.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is the effect on the skin with low-temperature liquid nitrogen. This substance freezes the pigmented area. After some time, the hardened skin is sloughed off and scraped off with a curette.
The only disadvantage of this treatment method is the white marks that remain after the removal of moles.
In addition, invasive surgery can remove a birthmark.
Birthmarks on the body: meaning
Since ancient times, people believed in the secretthe meaning of birthmarks on the body. They assigned them different functions and influence on human life.
So, for example, it was believed that the larger the mole, the more influence it has on fate. In addition, the color of the birthmark also mattered. Light yellow and light brown marks on the body predicted a person a happy fate and had a beneficial effect on it. At the same time, dark spots were considered negative signs and adversely affected life.
It is of particular importance on which part of the body the mole has appeared. So, for example, marks on the hips predicted a person with numerous offspring and he althy children. A birthmark on the right hand indicates that its owner will be not only happy, but also successful.
Today, a whole science deals with the interpretation of moles - morphoscopy.
