What is a Port Wine Birthmark?

A port wine birthmark may appear anywhere on the face or body and generally looks like a dark red or purple splotch of color. These birthmarks are a type of vascular birthmark, but are referred to as port wine stains because that is what most people relate their appearance to. They form because of tiny capillaries that malfunctioned beneath the skin, which resulted in capillary dilation and the noticeable color. In most cases, a port wine birthmark will be faint at birth and darken with age. Unlike many other types of birthmarks, they do not go away on their own.

These birthmarks are not typically considered dangerous, but marks present on the forehead or eyes may require medical monitoring. This is because port wine birthmarks in these areas could be a sign of a neurological disorder called Sturge-Weber syndrome. This disorder is rare, but it may cause learning delays or seizures in people who are affected by it. In most cases, the problems caused by port wine birthmarks are related to self-consciousness. A port wine birthmark on the face can be especially difficult for teenagers and adolescents to deal with as they reach the age where fitting in seems to matter.

Some port wine birthmarks may never go away completely regardless of treatment, but the most promising results might be attained with laser therapy. Doctors can use concentrated pulses of laser light that can penetrate the upper layer of skin and greatly reduce the darkness of most port wine birthmarks. The birthmark goes away completely for some people, but for others it may only become lighter. This therapy may take several sessions before the desired results are attained, and it may be the most effective when the treatment is started during infancy.

A port wine birthmark in an obvious location is something many people must learn to live with if treatment is not an option for them. There are many different types of camouflaging makeup available to people who have facial birthmarks. Additionally, parents of children with these birthmarks should do what they can to make sure their child feels accepted and keep them around people who accept them as often as possible. Children will be more likely to view the birthmark as no big deal if the people around them do likewise. If a child begins to understand at an early age that a birthmark on the face in no way detracts from who he is, he will be less likely to have serious issues with the problem when he is older.