If you've been blessed with a birthmark, you likely think about it a lot, but maybe not
about its history. It turns out, these seemingly simple skin abnormalities have a lot more
to them than meets the eye. From the science behind them to the superstitions that surround
them, here's everything you need to know about birthmarks.
"Every flaw, difference, condition, make us human."
Birthmarks come in all shapes and sizes, and typically fall into two major categories,
according to science. The red colored birthmarks, called vascular birthmarks or hemangiomas,
are made up of four main types: strawberry birthmarks, port-wine stains, salmon patches
or stork bites, and cavernous hemangiomas.
"It was really difficult for me to just have somebody just to see me, and just not my birthmark."
The second major category consists of brown pigmentation. These birthmarks include café-au-lait
spots and Mongolian spots. Believe it or not, even moles are also considered to be a type
of birthmark, but only if you happen to be born with them.
Even with the advancement of technology over the decades, birthmarks are one of those things
that still puzzle the scientific community. Their colors can accurately be explained,
but when it comes to the reasons why they form, there are a few possible theories.
According to scientific research tome, Diseases and Disorders, some reports suggest that there
are certain circumstances that result in birthmarks, including premature births, multiple births,
and the use of fertility drugs. Medical News Today reports that some doctors believe birthmarks
are caused by a piece of the placenta lodging itself into an embryo during pregnancy. Regardless,
none of these theories have been proven.
Even though we don't know for sure where birthmarks come from, many cultures have attempted to
solve the mystery. And one of the most enduring myths links mothers to their children's mysterious
marks.
"Aw, your nose is all pink like a little kitten."
According to this theory, via The Atlantic,
"If you have a food craving, and you don't fulfill that craving, and you scratch yourself,
your child will be born with a beauty mark in the shape of the food you were craving."
"Come on!"
This legend persists in several countries including Israel, Egypt, Brazil, and Italy.
And the book, Baby Lore, reveals other legends that also blame moms' for birthmarks. According
to a Chinese superstition, an expectant mother who starts a fire will give birth to a baby
with a birthmark on their face. An old American superstition says that a baby will be born
with a birthmark if a pregnant woman watches a lunar eclipse or if she so much as touches
her stomach during one. And an Indian belief says that if a pregnant woman draws a line
during an eclipse, that line will appear on the baby as a birthmark.
"Weird, but okay."
Some birthmarks can actually fade with age. And one of those is the Mongolian spot. Mongolian
spots are typically found in people with darker skin tones, and, according to the book, Differential
Diagnosis for Physical Therapists, they are:
"...very common in children of Asian, African, Indian, Native American, Polynesian, or Hispanic
origins."
But Mongolian spots almost always completely disappear by the time a child is 5 years old.
And strawberry birthmarks also typically fade as a child gets older. According to Diseases
and Disorders, 95 percent of these kinds of birthmarks will be gone by the time a child
reaches 9 years old.
Not everyone enjoys rocking their birthmarks, especially those on their face. But it turns
out, the birthmark removal process isn't always just for aesthetic purposes. According to
NYU Langone Health, in some cases, doctors will recommend that certain types of birthmarks
be removed for medical reasons.
For instance, birthmarks that form on the scalp could lead to a bald spot. And some
deep hemangiomas can damage the skin around them. A hemangioma on the face, for example,
has the potential to damage the eyes, nose, and mouth. Such birthmarks also have the potential
to affect a child's self-esteem, which is another reason that a doctor may suggest surgical
removal.
Doctors recommend that birthmark removal occur when a child is still young, since their skin
is more elastic then and therefore heals more readily, minimizing scarring.
While some people might be self-conscious of their birthmarks, the good news is that
they are normal, and for the most part, harmless.
"You have a birthmark. So what? Why would that scare me?"
But on some occasions, they can be an indicator of disease. Children who have a congenital
nevus, a dark mole that is usually located on their scalp or torso, have a higher risk
of skin cancer as adults, so these types of birthmarks should be monitored by a medical
professional throughout the child's life, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"There's a lot of UV exposure. This really can affect anyone from little babies to adults."
Woman's Day notes that you should always monitor moles and birthmarks for signs of change.
If you see anything unusual, make an appointment with your doctor.
So…birthmarks aren't hereditary. Or, are they? While science may not be able to give
us a definitive answer, Dr. Hardick Soni told Insider,
"Some birthmarks run in families. However, scientists are not completely sure why birthmarks
only affect some babies, or why they develop in the first place."
According to Better Health Channel, birthmarks can run in families or be, quote, "similar
to marks on other family members," but still, most birthmarks aren't passed down through
generations.
"We want to raise our soon to be born child and two other kids contrarily to their genetics."
But hereditary birthmarks did play a key role in ancient Greece. According to the book A
Companion to Families in the Greek and Roman World, the son of the god Apollo supposedly
had an anchor-shaped birthmark on his thigh that was considered proof of his link to his
dad. And according to the myth, he passed this birthmark on to his descendants.
Some of the superstitions surrounding birthmarks are downright sinister. According to Black
Cats & Four-Leaf Clovers, birthmarks were once thought to be a sign that a mother had
done something evil.
"I'm not like a regular mom, I'm a cool mom."
In the 17th century, Englishman Matthew Hopkins outlined a guide to catch so-called witches.
According to the book, Connecticut Witch Trials: The First Panic in the New World, one of Hopkins'
supposedly surefire ways of identifying a witch was to search for a quote "devil's mark."
All witches were thought to carry such a mark, and people who were trying to prove someone
was a witch could claim that any mark on the skin of an accused party was a devil's mark.
Just a birthmark could be all that was needed to condemn someone as a witch. Hopkins' guide
resulted in hundreds of murders both in England and in the Americas.
According to Black Cats & Four-Leaf Clovers, some societies thought of a birthmark as an
omen of luck. But if you didn't want a baby to have a birthmark, one superstition claimed
that if a mother licked her child's birthmark, it would disappear. In the past, mothers were
also urged to rub themselves with black pepper to prevent their babies from being born with
birthmarks.
"If you weren't so deadly serious about all this, it would be terribly funny."
According to Baby Lore, birthmarks shaped like crosses or doves signify that a baby
is generally blessed. Blonde-haired babies who have birthmarks on their heads have been
given a lucky kiss by either a fairy or an angel. Another belief alleges that a baby
with a mole will be successful in the future. And an Indian superstition says that a wheel-shaped
birthmark is a lucky sign and that it's even luckier if it appears on the right side of
the body.
One of the more intriguing theories about birthmarks is that they are proof that reincarnation
exists.
And this theory isn't just rooted in superstition, either. According to a paper by Dr. Ian Stevenson,
about 35 percent of children who claim that they remember having lived past lives have
either birthmarks on their bodies that correspond to wounds supposedly suffered in a past life.
Stevenson reported,
"In cases in which a deceased person was identified, the details of whose life unmistakably matched
the child's statements, a close correspondence was nearly always found between the birthmarks
and/or birth defects on the child and the wounds on the deceased person."
For Stevenson, this was indisputable proof of reincarnation. He wrote,
"Some paranormal process seems required to account for at least some of the details of
these cases."
While a birthmark is, by definition, something that appears on the skin, according to Medical
News Today, birthmarks can also affect the hair, sometimes causing a striking white lock.
This shock of hair is referred to as a Mallen Streak, and is caused by the lack of pigmentation
in the hair. These particular locks can actually run in families. In 2018, Metro reported on
the story of Josiah Barnes, a 2-year-old with a white patch of hair in the middle of his
head, just like 40 other people in his family. His mom, LaTrece, told the outlet,
"It runs through my family. We don't know where it originated but my grandmother had
it as did her grandparents."
In 2016, Kidspot reported on Brianna Worthy who passed her own white streak of hair on
to her daughter. Worthy's mother and grandmother also shared the trait.
Another distinguishing mark that is similar to a birthmark is the choroidal nevus. While
it's not technically a birthmark, it's actually a spot, freckle, or mole in the eye. Many
people don't even know they have them and they're typically discovered by doctors during
eye exams.
While having a birthmark floating around in your eye might sound odd, Verywell Health
assures that these are completely normal and don't usually indicate any health problems.
In some rare cases, though, they can grow large enough to disturb the surrounding tissue,
leading to fluid or blood leaks or even retinal detachment. According to the Kellogg Eye Center,
these marks are quite common and five to ten percent of us have them.
"I look into the crystal soul, ha ha ha ha ha hey!"
Some people believe that your fortune can be revealed through birthmarks, specifically
moles, through a practice called moleomancy. And according to Dreaming the Future: The
Fantastic Story of Prediction, this practice may have originated with the Chinese, but
telling fortunes through moles was also practiced by the Roma people. According to the belief,
a round mole is a sign of good luck. Those with angular sides suggest that you have a
"fiery temper."
"Even like a year and a half ago, a woman told me that she thought I should remove them.
I was like, that ship has sailed, my friend, and no. And then, go f--- yourself"
According to The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, the placement of moles can supposedly reveal
even more about a person. If you have moles on your ears, you will one day become wealthy.
A mole near your mouth indicates someone who is full of passion. If there are many moles
on your breasts, it means you'll one day have many children. Moles on your buttocks indicate
a lazy nature. And according to the rules of moleomancy, the darker a mole is, the greater
the chance these qualities are likely to be true.
Leaving those moles in the dust, the book Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of
Prediction reveals that the practice of telling fortunes based on other types of birthmarks
is called maculomancy. And as far as these beliefs go, birthmarks mean different things
based on where they are found on your body.
According to Baby Lore, Portuguese superstition states that if a baby is born with a birthmark
on their leg, it is a sign that their feet are itching to travel or that they'll be hyperactive.
A birthmark on the arm means that the bearer is going to grow up to be strong. And a birthmark
appearing on the face is considered to be a sign of beauty.
"I was born like this, and I'm owning it."
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