The designation birthmark, or mole in particular, is the slang term for an abnormal growth of skin cells that produce pigments. For this reason, the partially raised and mostly brown to dark brown colored areas visible on the surface of the skin are technically precisely referred to as nevus or birthmark.
What is a birthmark?
The name pigment nevus indicates the color of the birthmark. The birthmark is a benign, but noticeable, non-reversible skin irritation. In contrast to the brownish moles, red to dark red discolored growths are typical representatives.
Usually there are small blood vessels, sebum glands and various types of skin cells in a nevus, which also contribute to the deviating colors and dimensions. The moles include the nevus cell nevus, the lentigo simplex and the lentigo solaris.
causes
Birthmarks can be both congenital and acquired. It is not entirely clear why babies are occasionally born with birthmarks. Many people acquire one or more birthmarks in the course of their lives due to very different factors. You may be genetically predisposed to it.
In addition, it is possible that a weak or disturbed immune system promotes the formation of birthmarks. Environmental influences, such as intensive and permanent exposure of the skin to UV light as well as a hormonal cause, are also suspected of triggering or accelerating the formation of birthmarks. Basically, the formation of birthmarks is a complex process that is accompanied by a large number of influencing factors, since environmental influences also play an important role.
In some cases, the skin type of a person also decides whether a birthmark is created or not. In some cases, birthmarks only develop with increasing age and are a form of the skin's natural aging processes.
Intensive research has surprisingly shown that it is predominantly women who suffer from moles. These skin irritations rarely occur in men. Birthmarks represent a concentrated accumulation of pigment cells in the skin. The nevus cells arise from a large number of these cells, some of which multiply extensively.
Diseases with this symptom
- Skin cancer
- Melanoma
- Age spots
Complications
The biggest complication associated with birthmarks is the risk of their degeneration. This means the development of a birthmark into a melanoma, a malignant tumor of the skin. This tumor is so dangerous because it spreads relatively quickly and thus a complete cure can often no longer be achieved.
If such a melanoma is detected, an attempt is made to remove it with a certain safety margin. A possible radiation or chemotherapy can follow. If a degenerate birthmark is discovered early, the overall chance of a cure is good. Without treatment, black skin cancer is always fatal.
The degenerated birthmark spreads early in the lymph glands and the lungs, so that in the end there is a risk of complications from multiple organ failure. In general, complications can occur with large birthmarks because they interfere with everyday life due to their nature. You can get caught on a large, raised mole or accidentally scratch it and cause it to bleed.
Constant injuries to a mole in turn harbor the risk that it can change maliciously. In order to avoid such complications, large birthmarks that are perceived as annoying should be presented to the dermatologist on a regular basis. This can decide whether a removal is necessary.
When should you go to the doctor?
A small birthmark needn't be a cause for concern. But if it changes in color or size, a doctor should be consulted. This is especially advisable if the birthmark is bleeding, itching, or wet. The size of a mole can also change.
If necessary, the dermatologist will decide whether the problematic stain should be removed or not. The laboratory result determines whether it was a benign or a malignant stain. Knowing that a malignant birthmark can be skin cancer, those affected should not delay a visit to the doctor for too long. Skin cancer does not hurt at first. It is often not noticeable at first. Every two years every adult should go to a dermatologist for free skin cancer screening. Birthmarks are harmless in themselves. However, they can degenerate with age. Precautions and self-observation are therefore advisable.
Anyone with birthmarks should also see a doctor if they have a large or disfiguring mark. Here psychologists or cosmetic surgeons are the right people to talk to. Larger birthmarks cannot always be removed. However, those affected can learn to accept birthmarks or to use camouflage cosmetics to cover them with make-up. Even then, however, the birthmarks should be observed and regularly checked by the dermatologist for any changes.
Doctors & therapists in your area
Treatment & Therapy
The treatment options for birthmarks and, in particular, liver spots are mostly only necessary from a cosmetic point of view. In addition, birthmarks can also degenerate, enlarge, develop an oozing property or manifest themselves as a conspicuously irregular growth. Then it is important to remove it because a malignant degeneration can be the cause.
In addition to the more or less invasive treatment method of surgical removal under local anesthesia, moles are currently removed using a special laser technology as part of modern cosmetic surgery. The advantage of surgical removal is that a corresponding laboratory examination of the removed tissue can be carried out with regard to cancerous skin cells. A biopsy is usually recommended by the dermatologist if there are signs of cancer-like degeneration.
In the case of surgical removal, removal is carried out by punching out the corresponding skin area or by using a scalpel. A so-called electrosurgical treatment of birthmarks is based on the ablation of skin tissue through the use of electrical current with high frequencies using a fine loop of wire.
During laser treatment, a light beam that corresponds to a special wavelength and hits the birthmark as heat causes the birthmark to recede. Subsequent treatments and controls are often necessary even after the mole has been successfully removed. Either sutures have to be removed or repeated therapy is necessary.
Outlook & forecast
As a rule, a birthmark does not represent a particular medical complication and therefore does not require treatment in most cases. Most birthmarks are benign cancers that do not have a negative impact on a patient's health. A dermatologist does not have to be consulted in these cases.
A birthmark can be removed by surgery. Treatment with medication or creams usually does not take place. A scan at the dermatologist can determine whether a mole needs to be removed.
As a rule, a doctor should be consulted whenever the birthmark changes, bleeds, or itches. Here there is an increased risk of cancer. In most cases, this can be treated relatively well and will not lead to further complications or difficulties if measures are taken quickly. The cancer can only rarely spread to other regions and thus damage other parts of the body.
You can do that yourself
In the case of a birthmark, self-help is usually not possible or necessary. The birthmark is only treated by the doctor in a few cases and in most cases does not pose a threat to the human body. However, the patient should always keep an eye on the birthmark. In the case of strong sunlight, which occurs especially in summer, the affected area on the skin should be particularly well creamed. A protection factor of at least 30 should be used here.
If the birthmark changes, a doctor must be consulted immediately. This is usually a benign tumor, which, however, should be removed. The changes can be in shape, color and size. You should also pay attention to birthmarks that appear on the skin and were not there before. These must also be treated by a doctor. The treatment itself is painless, the doctor removes the affected main part without further complications.
Hair often grows out of a birthmark. These can be carefully removed with scissors or tweezers. However, if the birthmark does not change, no treatment is necessary.
