What are the different types of birthmarks?

Birthmarks can be categorized according to their composition. Marks as a result of excessive accumulations of melanin are called pigmented birthmarks, since the great majority of them are brown to black. Other birthmarks appear lighter than the rest of the skin due to a relative lack of melanin.

Some birthmarks are composed of blood vessels and are called vascular birthmarks. They are generally red, blue, or purple. Other birthmarks are composed of lymphatic tissue (cystic hygroma), breast tissue, and epidermal tissue, which are often yellow to flesh-colored.

What are the characteristics of pigmented birthmarks?

Pigmented birthmarks can be flat or elevated. They may simply be due to excessive deposition of melanin pigment in the deeper layers of the skin called dermal melanosis. This is particularly common in more heavily pigmented infants and is commonly called a Mongolian spot. More frequently, there are accumulations of melanin produced by and contained in pigment cells called melanocytes. The medical term for such a concentration of melanin-producing cells is a nevus. These nevi are generally small, no larger than ¼ inch diameter, however, they can be quite large, covering a significant portion the infant’s skin.

What are the characteristics of vascular birthmarks?

The color of vascular birthmarks ranges from light pink to dark purple, and they can be either flat or elevated. Their size is quite variable, as well. Certain types of vascular birthmarks can evolve and change after birth.

What causes birthmarks?

Most birthmarks are probably due to defective migration of cells during fetal development. Once these cells start to multiply, they produce tissue with the characteristics of their cell type though they are not where those cells typically are located.

symptoms and signs associated with birthmarks

Pigmented birthmarks, aside from their coloration, cause no symptoms. Vascular birthmarks of certain types can produce significant symptoms. The identification of the type of vascular birthmarks may be difficult and require certain advanced imaging techniques as well pathological examination of samples of the birthmark. Certain vascular birthmarks called hemangiomas can begin as flat lesions at birth but enlarge rapidly during the first few months of life. They may ulcerate and disappear slowly, leaving only a scar. If this type of lesion is situated adjacent to an important anatomical structure like an eye or mouth, it may need to be treated to hasten the natural resolution.

Laser tattoo removal

Lasers are the most common method of tattoo removal performed today. Tattoos consist of thousands of particles of tattoo ink suspended in the skin. The normal human immune system typically removes small foreign particles from the skin. Tattoo ink particles are too big to be removed by this system and are thus considered permanent. The use of lasers helps to break up these particles into smaller pieces that can be removed by the immune system.

Laser treatments work by targeting the ink particles in the skin with highly concentrated light waves that heat up the ink particles and cause them to fragment into smaller particles that are able to be cleared away by the body’s immune system.

How it works

Lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pigment colors with a high-intensity light beam. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths, making it the easiest color to treat. Other colors can only be treated by selected lasers based upon the pigment color.

You should first schedule a consultation with a trained professional who can evaluate your tattoo and advise you on the process. The number of treatments you will need will depend on the age, size, and color(s) of your tattoo. The color of your skin, as well as how deep the tattoo pigment goes, will also affect the removal technique.

Stretch marks, or striae, are a form of skin scarring associated with pregnancy, obesity, puberty, and short-term weight gain from bodybuilding and other physical activities. They form when the dermis – the middle layer of the skin that maintains shape and elasticity – is stretched more than it can tolerate. Connective fibers in the skin eventually break, disrupting collagen production and causing scarring. This scarring may be treatable only through stretch mark removal.

When the middle layer of skin stretches too quickly, some of its collagen fibers can break.

This allows underlying blood vessels to show through, leaving behind the telltale red or purplish marks.Over time, they fade to a white or silver color as blood vessels heal. Once they appear, the marks do not usually go away fully.

Candidates

While there are many suitable candidates for stretch mark removal, the most common patients are women who have recently given birth. Stretch marks and pregnancy usually go hand in hand – almost three in four women will experience stretch marks after pregnancy. These women usually suffer from belly stretch marks, but other areas may also be affected, resulting in the need for mommy makeover surgery. Other candidates include people who have lost significant weight and bodybuilders who have quickly developed significant muscle mass.

Causes of Stretch Marks

• Genetics: Women are more likely to get belly stretch marks if their mother, for instance, had stretch marks after pregnancy. Significant weight gain and loss: Your skin stretches as your weight fluctuates, sometimes resulting in stretch marks.
• Puberty: Growth spurts during puberty often result in stretch marks as the skin is unable to keep up with the body’s rate of growth.
• Bodybuilding: Rapid development of muscle mass may stretch the skin beyond its limits.
• Corticosteroids: Heavy or long-term use of oral or topical corticosteroids, a widely used pharmaceutical steroid compound, can lead to stretch mark formation.
• Ethnicity: People with darker skin are less likely to have stretch marks.

During laser hair removal, a laser emits a light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. The light energy is converted to heat, which damages the tube-shaped sacs within the skin (hair follicles) that produce hairs. This damage inhibits or delays future hair growth.

Why it’s done

Laser hair removal is used to reduce unwanted hair. Common treatment locations include legs, armpits, upper lip, chin and the bikini line. However, it’s possible to treat unwanted hair in nearly any area, except the eyelid or surrounding area.

Hair color and skin type influence the success of laser hair removal. The basic principle is that the pigment of the hair, but not the pigment of the skin, should absorb the light. The laser should damage only the hair follicle while avoiding damage to the skin. Therefore, a contrast between hair and skin color — dark hair and light skin — results in the best outcomes.

What you can expect

Laser hair removal usually requires a series of two to six treatments. The interval between treatments will vary depending on the location. On areas where hair grows quickly, such as the upper lip, the treatment might be repeated in four to eight weeks. On areas of slow hair growth, such as the back, the treatment might be every 12 to 16 weeks.

For each treatment you’ll wear special goggles to protect your eyes from the laser beam. An assistant might shave the site again if necessary. The doctor might apply a topical anesthetic to your skin to reduce any discomfort during treatment.