Birthmarks, just like the name implies; are marks that appear on the skin at birth or afterwards, usually in the first month.
They appear anywhere on the skin, and they aren’t caused by the physical process of birth. Birthmarks generally result from malfunctioned pigment cells or blood vessels.

Although the causes are not known, most of them are harmless and do not require treatment.
They come in different colors, shapes and sizes and some are so pale and little you might not know you have them.

What Are The Most Common Types Of Birthmarks?

There are two main types of birthmarks;

1. Pigmented birthmark
2. Vascular birthmark

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PIGMENTED BIRTHMARKS

Pigment is a fancy word for color. These type of birthmarks are caused by clusters of pigment cells. It resembles a spot on your skin.
The types of pigmented birthmarks are:

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• Moles (also known as congenital nevi)

People often call these birthmarks "beauty marks." However not all moles are birthmarks. They can occur at any site of the body, they vary in size and color (skin colored, pink, black or brown) and can be either flat or raised. Moles can likewise occur in adulthood, however just moles that are present at birth or within the first few month are considered birthmarks.

_{A child with a mole on his nose
Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons}

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• Café au lait Spots

The name café au lait (pronounced cafay-oh-lay) is French for "coffee with milk" and refers to their light-brown color. They are smooth, flat and often irregular. Typically they are usually less than 5mm in diameter, they fade with age and are not dangerous or harmful. Despite the fact that the spots are harmless themselves, many of them grouped together can be a sign for neurofibromatosis and should be examined by a doctor.

_{A child with a café-au-lait spot
Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons}

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• Mongolian Spots

They are flat, gray-blue in color and are often mistaken as bruises. They are most common in babies with darker skin and are usually found on the lower back or buttocks. They fade naturally over time and generally do not require any treatment.

_{A child with a monogolian spot on his back
Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons}

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VASCULAR BIRTHMARKS

The heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries), the little highways that move blood through your body are your vascular system. Vascular birthmarks occur as a result of abnormal growth or formation of blood vessels or vessel cells.
The types of vascular birthmarks are:

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• Macular Stains or Salmon Patches

These are pale red or pink flat marks that may appear anywhere on the body. People refer to this birthmarks as:

Angel’s Kisses: If you get them on the forehead, nose, upper lip, and eyelids.

Stork Bites: Marks are located on the back of the neck.

Sometime they fade away, but sometimes they don’t.

Angel's kisses	Stork Bites

_{Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons and Flick/Abigail Batchelder}

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• Hemangioma (also known as strawberry naevus)

A Hemangioma (pronounced he-man-gee-oh-ma), is a bright red raised or oval dome shaped mark that appears on any part of the body. They are one of the most common birthmarks associated with childhood and affect 10% of all children. Hemangiomas become visible within the first few weeks of life and continue to grow rapidly. They eventually shrink and disappear, in most cases leaving a light mark behind.

_{Strawberry birthmark on the belly of an infant
Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons}

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• Port Wine Stains (also know as nevus flammeus)

They are flat and clearly outlined pink, red or purple mark. Port wine stains are present at birth and are often located on the face, arms and legs. Rather than fade over time like many birthmarks, port wine stains become darker, raised and rough, and can get bigger as the child grows. They don’t go away on their own, but can be treated.

_{An adult with a Port wine stain on the left leg
Photo Credit | Wikipedia Commons}

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IF YOU HAVE A BIRTHMARK THAT BOTHERS YOU, SEEK THE ADVISE OF A DERMATOLOGIST. LET THE SKIN DOCTOR DECIDE IF IT NEEDS TO BE TREATED OR NOT.

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Content Sources
https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/birthmark_id
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/tv6670
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/common-types-of-birthmarks-topic-overview

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@shuta