The Untold Truth Of Birthmarks

Birthmarks can be found on over 80 percent of babies, according to BabyCenter. These marks are either present at birth or develop within a few months of a baby being born. If, like most people, you have a birthmark, it's probably not something you have given much thought to. Birthmarks are quite normal and very common, after all, so there's a good chance you often forget that you even have one. These seemingly simple patches of skin have a lot more to them than meets the eye, though. Birthmarks have long been a subject of fascination across the globe, and people have formed some interesting beliefs about them over the centuries. 

Whether you have an interesting birthmark yourself or not, you will never look at birthmarks the same way again after you learn these fascinating details about them. From the science behind birthmarks to the superstitions that surround them, here is everything that you ever wanted to know about birthmarks. 

Science has advanced a lot over the years, but it still can't tell us everything. Birthmarks are one of those things that, for one reason or another, are still puzzling the scientific community. According to the NHS, vascular birthmarks are the result of "abnormal blood vessels," while pigmented birthmarks are the result of "clusters of pigment cells." That explains how birthmarks get their color, but what causes them to form?

This is the part that scientists still can't definitively answer, although they do have at least a couple of possible theories about where birthmarks come from and why we have them. According to Diseases and Disorders, some research suggests that there are certain circumstances that correlate with birthmarks, including premature births, multiple births, and the use of fertility drugs. Medical News Today says that some doctors believe birthmarks are caused by a piece of placenta lodging itself into an embryo during pregnancy. Others think that placenta-produced proteins might increase the chances of developing certain birthmarks. None of these theories have been proven, however.

For now, at least, it looks like the question of how birthmarks form is one that will have to remain unanswered. 

There are a couple kinds of birthmarks that almost always fade with age. One of the major birthmarks that typically disappears as a child ages is the Mongolian spot. This birthmark is often mistaken for a sign of child abuse because it is a bruise-like marking that covers a baby in a large blue or black patch. Mongolian spots are typically found in people with darker skin colors, and, according to Differential Diagnosis for Physical Therapists, they are "very common in children of Asian, African, Indian, Native American, Polynesian, or Hispanic origins." Mongolian spots almost always completely disappear by the time a child is 5 years old. 

Strawberry birthmarks are another type of birthmark that typically fades 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 is 9 years old.

While many people may be self conscious of their birthmarks, the good news is that they are completely normal and, for the most part, harmless. Sometimes, though, birthmarks can be an indicator of a disease. Children who have a congenital nevus (a dark mole that is usually located on the body's scalp or trunk) for example, 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, says the Mayo Clinic. 

Children with port wine stains sometimes also have Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (which affects blood vessel development) or Sturge-Weber syndrome (which is often characterized by seizures or convulsions), so these birthmarks should also be examined by a doctor.

Woman's Day notes that you should always monitor moles and birthmarks for signs of change. If you see anything unusual, you should make an appointment with your doctor. 

Some of the many superstitions surrounding birthmarks are downright sinister. According to Black Cats & Four-Leaf Clovers: The Origins of Old Wives' Tales and Superstitions in Our Everyday Lives, birthmarks were once thought to be a sign that a mother had done something evil.

In the 17th century, an English man named Matthew Hopkins outlined a guide to catch witches called The Discovery of Witches. According to 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 "devil's mark." All witches were thought to carry such a mark, and people determined to prove someone was a witch could claim that any mark upon the skin of an accused witch was a devil's mark. A birthmark could be all the proof that was needed to condemn someone as a witch. Hopkins' guide resulted in hundreds of deaths both in England and in the Americas.

One of the more intriguing theories about birthmarks is that they are proof that reincarnation exists. This theory isn't just rooted in superstition, either, but has actually been scientifically examined. According to the abstract of a paper by Dr. Ian Stevenson titled "Birthmarks and Birth Defects Corresponding to Wounds on Deceased Persons," about 35 percent of children who claim that they remember having lived past lives have either birthmarks or birth defects on their bodies that correspond to wounds supposedly suffered in a past life.

Stevenson investigated 210 of these past life claims by tracking down the person whose life a child claimed to remember. He found that "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. "Some paranormal process seems required to account for at least some of the details of these cases," concluded Stevenson.

Another distinguishing mark that is similar to a birthmark is a choroidal nevus. A choroidal nevus is not technically a birthmark (although it's often referred to as such) but is actually a spot, freckle, or mole in the eye. Many people don't 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 painful, Verywell Health assures that choroidal nevi are normal and don't usually indicate any health problems. In some cases, though, they can grow large enough that they disturb the surrounding tissue, leading to fluid or blood leaks or even retinal detachment. 

According to the Kellogg Eye Center, choroidal nevi are quite common and five to ten percent of the population have them. If you have one of these marks, you should keep an eye on it and have it examined annually so a doctor can monitor it for any changes.

According to Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, the practice of telling fortunes based on other types of birthmarks besides moles is called maculomancy. Birthmarks, according to those who believe in this practice, mean different things based on where they are found on your body.

According to Baby Lore: Superstitions & Old Wives Tales from the World Over Related to Pregnancy, Birth & Babycare, Portuguese superstition says 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 will be hyperactive. A birthmark on the arm, on the other hand, means that the bearer is going to grow up to be strong. A birthmark appearing on the face is considered to be a sign of beauty. 

Whether or not you actually believe that birthmarks can reveal anything about a person, maculomancy can be a fun party trick to impress your friends.