Are All Birthmarks Safe? | Skin Wellness Physicians Blog

If you want to reduce your birthmarks, our Florida-based team believes that it helps to understand which skin lesions are typically harmless and which ones you need to be concerned about. Broadly, there are two main types of birthmarks: vascular birthmarks (formed from extra blood vessels) and pigmented birthmarks (caused by clusters of melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells).

The Main Types of Birthmarks and What They Look Like

Vascular birthmarks: These include infantile hemangiomas (often bright red or deep blue nodules that grow for months, then slowly regress) and port wine stains (flat, red-to-purple patches that tend to persist and may darken or thicken over time).
Pigmented birthmarks: These arise from melanocytes and include café-au-lait spots (light brown, coffee-with-milk patches) and Mongolian spots (bluish-gray areas, most common on the lower back or buttocks, usually fading in early childhood).
Other patterns: Mixed lesions can contain both vascular and pigment components. Any rapidly changing, bleeding, or painful lesion warrants medical review.

When Birthmarks Should Be Evaluated or Treated–Signs to Seek a Dermatology Visit

While many types of birthmarks are harmless, certain features suggest a closer look:

Rapid growth, color change, or new symptoms (itching, pain, ulceration, bleeding)
Lesions near the eyes, nose, lips, airway, or groin that could affect vital functions
Large or multiple café-au-lait spots, or extensive pigmented birthmarks, especially if new marks continue to appear
Port wine stains on the face or those thickening with age, which may be associated with underlying vessels
Hemangiomas that ulcerate, interfere with feeding/vision, or do not begin regressing after infancy

Note that many port wine stains and hemangiomas are benign, but all should be evaluated by a dermatologist, even if they don’t have obvious symptoms.

A board-certified dermatologist can confirm the diagnosis, differentiate vascular birthmarks from pigmented birthmarks, and discuss evidence-based options—observation, topical care, laser therapy (commonly used for select port wine stains), or other treatments when appropriate. At Skin Wellness Physicians, our goal is to evaluate each birthmark carefully, recommend safe,individualized care, and monitor changes over time.

Have questions about a specific birthmark? Speak with Florida’s Skin Wellness Physicians team to get a personalized evaluation and guidance. Call us at (239) 732-0044 or send us a message to book an appointment in Naples or Marco Island, FL.