Birthmarks

A birthmark is a mark on the skin originating from birth. Common types of birthmarks are cafe-au-lait spots, moles, and mongolian spots.

Before                                                             After

What Are the Symptoms of Birthmarks?

Type specific symptoms:

• Cafe-au-lait spots - a light tan colored spot often resembling the color of coffee with milk
• Moles - small clusters of colored skin cells often appearing dark in color
• Mongolian spots - bluish or bruised-looking spots that typically appear on the lower back, buttocks, and sometimes on the upper body and arms

General symptoms:

• Hair growth
• Lesions
• Lumps
• Smooth, flat, raised, or wrinkled texture

What Are the Causes?

• Cafe-au-lait spots - often occur in people with the genetic disorder, neurofibromatosis
• Moles – result from the cluster like growth of pigment cells
• Mongolian spots - are more commonly seen in darker-skinned peoples and have no know cause

What Are the Treatments?

Although treatment is not necessary for birthmarks, there are medical treatments available to remove or diminish birthmarks that affect appearance and self-esteem, or that may have cancerous properties.

Office Treatments:

Pulsed Dye Laser

Q-Switch Laser