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White Birthmark on Hair & Stomach Meaning

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Do you or your baby have some white patches on their skin or are there streaks of white hair on your forehead? This could be a birthmark you were born with. In this post, we delve into the world of white birthmarks. We discuss white hair as a form of birthmark, white birthmarks on the stomach, their meaning and if there are means of these birthmarks of removal. To learn about all these, read on.

White birthmarks are an indication of an area on the skin that is devoid of melanocytes. These cells produce skin pigment.

White Birthmark Meaning

Birthmarks have always been surrounded by myths. Traditional knowledge has been passed on to interpret what they mean. These vary from one given community to another. White birthmark meaning is no different.

Some people believe that they are an indication of bodily trauma experienced in previous life. One online user with a white birthmark on the arm swears that he can connect with his past. At such times he hears gunshots and believes that he was a criminal who suffered a gunshot in his previous life on the point where his birthmark is.

White birthmark
White birthmark

For other people, white birthmarks are simply something they were born with that has no significant meaning. They do not believe that birthmarks hold any meaning and thus they don’t dwell into the topic but learn how to live with their marks.

Given all these explanations, it is hard to know what to believe. Fortunately, the question what does a white birthmark mean has been well answered through scientific findings. In reality, the presence of a white birthmark means that there is no melanin which is responsible for formation of skin pigment. This causes one to get some white skin patches or some streak of white hair.

White Birthmark on Stomach

Having a white birthmark on the stomach is normal. This tends to be most visible on people with dark skins. When light people’s skin becomes tanned or in case they scratch themselves a bit, the birthmark will be clearly visible.

The birthmarks tend to grow with the same rate as the growth of an individual. They are permanent and do not go away with time as confirmed by one online user, terri:

“I haven’t measured it, but when I was four, it was about the size of quarter. Now I’m thirteen and it’s about the size of one of those rubber bracelets with the words on it.”

[answers.yahoo.com]

White birthmarks on stomach tend to be completely flat and do not dent in or swell up. They come in different sizes and shapes too. For terri above, his was oval.

Paurasmith who is yet another online user has this to say about the shape of his: “I was born with a white birth mark on my stomach about the shape of an egg.”

For Kelsey: “……….mine look like a bunch of islands.”

[boards.ancestry.ca]

These descriptions go a long way to show that white birthmarks can form both irregular and regular shape.

White birth marks on hair
White birth marks on hair

White Hair Birthmark

The medical term given to white hairstreaks is poliosis. Despite it sounding almost the same, this has nothing to do with polio. Just like hair and eye color, white hair birthmarks tend to have a hereditary origin. This means that a person from a family with people who have them is predisposed to be born with this kind of birthmark.

White Birthmark on Baby

Skin color is determined by melanin, which is the skin color pigment. Where it is lacking in some parts of the body, one is said to be hypo-pigmented. When hypopigmentation is present right from birth and affects a small area, it causes a white birthmark on a baby.

Majority of hypopigmented birthmarks can be easily diagnosed. However, the parents and the baby will have to undergo some genetic tests to determine if there could be some abnormal genes causing the lack of pigment. This helps to determine if the condition could be passed to other children.

White birthmark on a baby
White birthmark on a baby

White birthmarks on baby are common in autistic children. They could also be linked to the health condition known as tuberus sclerosis. This is not very common though. An appointment with a pediatrician will give guidance on whether there is a need for further tests or if the birthmarks are harmless.

Hypopigmented birthmarks could affect small skin areas appearing as simple small patches or it could occur generally in any part of the body such as the stomach, hair on forehead or eyes. The birthmarks are harmless and one can learn to live with them. However, if one sees white patches developing later in life, it is best to consult a dermatologist, as this could be a serious sign of vitiligo.

White Birthmark on Back

White birthmarks tend to form on any part of the body. It is therefore not a wonder to see a white birthmark on back of a person. Dealing with this should be no different from dealing with other white birthmarks.

White Birthmark Removal

Since white birthmarks are because of lack of skin pigment, white birthmark removal is usually not possible. This is because it would require re-pigmentation of the skin, which would have to be done by stimulating melanocytes, the pigment generating cells. This would be quite dangerous as it could trigger the worst form of skin cancer known as melanoma.

White birthmark on hair can however be removed. To begin with, the patient is made to apply melanin to the non-pigmented hair. This enables the area from which the hair grows to be receptive to laser treatment.

The cells around it are then destroyed to suppress the growth of non-pigmented hair. Sufficient pigment should get absorbed by the hair so that it can affect absorption of laser light, which then effects destruction, and removal of non-pigmented hair. One may have to undergo one successful treatment or a series of them.

To even out skin tone, people with white birthmarks have been known to get tattoos. These help to conceal the blemish. On the other hand, one could learn to apply makeup that will help to cover up the birthmark. The key to successful concealment is in finding makeup color that matches your natural skin tone.

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Posted Comments [5]

  1. Hey…. Its so weird that I have the same like ditto birthmark as shown in the picture. Looks a bit like an heart.

    Reply
  2. I was born with white birthmarks on my legs and stomach. As I got older the ones on my arms appeared and when I was 12 my hair started turning gray. My mother had 4 kids. All of her kids had birthmarks on their legs and my other siblings were born with a white streak in their hair at birth. I myself had 4 kids also but only one of my kids has it on her legs, stomach and her hair started turning gray when she was in high school. My mother had 2 sisters and 3 brothers. She had 1 sister without birthmarks and the other 5 had them. The aunt without birthmarks had 2 kids, 1 with and 1 without. It doesn’t have a rhyme or reason. The birthmarks on the body get sunburned very easily. Just thought you’d be interested. Real life.

    Reply
  3. My son has a white birthmark in neck. It became more visible as he aged.
    what’s meaning white birthmark in neck ? Is this Remove?How?

    Reply
  4. My eldest son has a white spear birthmark running down the center of the front of his body. It became more visible as he aged.

    Reply

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