Which of us has skin without birthmarks, moles or warts? I have never met anyone who does. You probably haven’t either. But which ones should we worry about, and which are harmless? The question arises especially often in spring and early summer, when the sun grows stronger and we want to turn our face and décolletage towards it. So what should we do about our moles?
What are birthmarks?
Birthmarks are coloured marks on the skin that are present at birth or appear within a few days, months or years after birth. Around 80% of newborns have birthmarks, most of which are harmless. They can range in colour from brown to blue and vary in size from a pinpoint to marks covering an entire limb.
Preventing skin cancer: examining our birthmarks
Moles, birthmarks and pigment spots – some are with us from birth, others develop only over the course of life. Most of them are harmless. With regular skin cancer screening, a doctor can keep them under observation. In this way, changes in the skin are noticed quickly. Your skin is best protected if you also regularly check the moles on yourself and your loved ones, because skin cancer is curable when detected at an early stage.
Dermatology in Switzerland offers comprehensive skin diagnostics. This specialty also includes the examination of moles and birthmarks and the classification of skin cancer risk.
Treatment in Switzerland covers the examination of birthmarks and, where necessary, the removal of any conspicuous moles.
Conspicuous marks on the skin: recognising skin cancer in time
After the summer, do you notice small new spots on your skin, or does a familiar mole suddenly look different? Then keep your eyes open and take a closer look. Marks on the skin that change over time do not necessarily mean skin cancer, yet they can be a sign of a developing malignant tumour. In that case, swift action is needed to prevent a possible melanoma from developing further and spreading in the body. Skin cancer has no typical appearance, which is why careful self-examination is so important.
Why do these marks appear?
They result from an overgrowth of normal skin components, most often blood vessels and melanocytes (the cells that give skin and hair their colour). In most cases these marks occur singly and are not associated with other symptoms. They are caused neither by anything the mother did during pregnancy nor by injuries during birth.
In some cases, children are born with marks that gradually fade, so treatment of moles should be deferred if the marks are disappearing on their own. In some cases, a mole appears only later in life, as the body matures and changes.
Types of birthmark
There are two main categories of birthmark:
- Red birthmarks. These are a type of vascular anomaly (they are related to blood vessels) and develop before or shortly after birth as a result of excessive development of blood vessels. Symptoms may include: irritation or lesions of the skin, marks on the skin resembling blood vessels, possible bleeding, and cracking of the skin.
- Pigmented birthmarks. These are areas that differ in colour from the rest of the skin and are present at birth. The marks may be brown, blue, purple, grey or black. Pigmented moles may grow as the child develops, change colour (especially after sun exposure or during adolescence, due to hormonal changes), cause itching and occasionally bleed.
When a mole changes in size, shape or colour, this may be a sign of skin cancer, and some studies suggest that moles make people more susceptible to skin cancer.
Mole removal
Once the decision has been made to remove a mole, various treatment approaches can be used. In some cases, surgical removal with a scalpel or laser is possible. Laser therapy can also be used to lighten the pigment in pigmented birthmarks or to break down a mole so that it is less visible. A dermatologist can advise in specific cases and determine whether mole removal is effective for the patient.
