While birthmarks, like vascular birthmarks, may seem like a big deal to those living with them, these marks are actually incredibly common with around 80% of people being born with some sort of birthmark. Although many of these marks will disappear during childhood, some birthmarks will remain visible for life unless they are treated.
These marks fall into two main categories; vascular and pigmented. In today’s blog, we are looking at what vascular birthmarks are and how they can be lightened using a professional birthmark removal treatment.
How Vascular Birthmarks Are Formed
The body’s vascular system is made up of the heart and blood vessels that supply every part of the body. However, when these vessels divide and grow into a cluster, they become visible on the skin with a red or purple appearance.
Different Types of Vascular Birthmarks
As with most skin conditions, there is no single definition of a vascular birthmark, with several different types existing.
Salmon patches typically have the lightest colouration of all vascular birthmark types, often appearing as flat patches with a pink or salmon hue to them – hence their name. They can sometimes fade over time to a certain degree without intervention and are usually present either on the face or the back of the neck.
Next up in severity of colouration are haemangiomas. Unlike salmon patches, haemangiomas are usually raised marks and have a much brighter red colour. They can appear anywhere on the body but are most commonly found either on the face, chest, or back area. At first, haemangiomas are can grow for up to a year, after which they will begin to shrink, flatten, and sometimes even improve in colour. The colouring of haemangiomas can usually be used as an indicator of their type. Deep haemangiomas will usually have a dark purple colour, while those that form on top of the skin have a much brighter, strawberry-red colour.
Then there are port wine stains. Medically known as nevus flammeus, this type of birthmark will usually remain the same size, unlike other vascular birthmarks that can often shrink with age. As you can probably guess from their name, these marks are the darkest in colouration out of the different birthmark types.
Removing Vascular Birthmarks
With over 25 years of experience, the team of skin experts at our Harley Street Clinic are able to offer the latest treatments using cutting-edge technology to address a variety of skin issues. Using this wealth of knowledge and experience, we can treat most types of birthmarks with impressive results.
