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• Part 1 of 2: Lightening your birthmark
• Part 2 of 2: Understanding different types of birthmarks
• Warnings

Some people are born with noticeable spots on their skin. These moles can vary in size, shape, color, texture and appearance. There are a number of different types of moles, which are divided into two categories: pigmented or colored moles and vascular moles. Birthmarks are usually not dangerous or painful, but they can cause psychological damage or be disfiguring. If you have a birthmark that you would rather lighten than remove completely, medical treatment is the best option. However, there is anecdotal evidence that certain natural remedies can be helpful.

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Part 1 of 2: Lightening your birthmark

1. Use papaya and apricot. Papaya contains the enzyme papain that exfoliates the skin by exposing new cells to the surface of the skin and giving the skin a lighter appearance. You can use papaya soaps and creams that you can apply to your birthmark two to three times a day. Apricots also contain enzymes that can make moles less visible in some individuals, and there are a number of apricot skin scrubs on the market.
   • Alternatively, use slices of fresh fruits and vegetables and apply directly to the mole for 10 minutes. Repeat this daily and rinse the fruit juice away with warm water.
2. Rub lemon juice on your birthmark. Health care providers assume that the citric acid in lemon juice has a powerful bleaching compound that can help lighten the mole on your skin. Lemon juice has traditionally been used to lighten patches of skin. This bleaching effect gets stronger in the sun, although it is advisable to stay out of the sun while the lemon juice is working on your skin, because it is unpredictable how great the sun's bleaching effect is on the lemon juice. To use lemon juice:
   • Cut a lemon in half with a knife. Apply the lemon juice directly to the birthmark while squeezing it. Make sure the entire area is covered for at least 10 minutes and then wash it thoroughly with warm water. Pat the area dry with a clean towel. Repeat this process three times a day.
   • Apply lemon slices to the area of ​​the birthmark if desired. Let the lemon slices work for 10 minutes. Rinse the lemon juice off with warm water when you're done. Keep repeating this daily.
3. Try tomato juice. Tomato juice is slightly acidic and contains high concentrations of antioxidants that, in theory, can react with skin pigments and give the mole a lighter appearance. Like lemons, tomatoes seem to have antioxidant properties that help limit skin damage. It can also have a natural bleaching property similar to the citric acid in lemon juice. To bleach your birthmark with tomato juice, do the following:
   • Take the juice from a fresh, sliced ​​tomato and apply it to the pigmented mole. Leave the juice on for at least 10 minutes and then wash and dry your skin. Repeat this procedure once a day.
   • You can also use tomato slices, if desired. Leave this on for 10 minutes and repeat the treatment daily. Rinse the tomato juice down with warm water when you're done.
4. Try to lighten the birthmark with olive oil. Olive oil is considered a natural moisturizer. It can moisturize damaged skin cells, which in turn contributes to the whitening of a birthmark. Apply the olive oil as follows:
   • Apply a few drops of olive oil to a cotton ball so that the cotton ball is soaked but not dripping. Hold the cotton ball against your mole for five minutes, then rinse the skin with warm water and pat dry. Repeat this process two or three times a day.
5. Put an ice pack on your skin. Ice and cold compresses can help your skin retain moisture and get a softer texture. This lightens the spots or pigmentations that form a birthmark. It can also make the pores of the skin smaller, which in turn limits skin discoloration.
   • Wrap two to three pieces of ice in a clean cloth. This helps to protect your skin from cold damage; never apply ice directly to the skin. Hold the wrapped ice against your skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not leave the ice pack on your skin for more than 20 minutes, otherwise it could damage your skin. Let your skin rest for an hour and repeat the treatment if necessary.
6. Rub vitamin A cream on your skin. Vitamin A stimulates cell division and the production of collagen (the most abundant proteins in the skin). Vitamin A helps to renew and exfoliate the skin at the site of the birthmark, which can help reduce the pigmentation of the birthmark.
   • Apply the cream to the birthmark at least two to three times a day. Make sure to cover the entire birthmark.
7. Apply vitamin E oil to your birthmark. Vitamin E, with its antioxidant properties, can fight and limit free radical damage in the skin. So this can help exfoliate the skin making the birthmark appear lighter.
   • Apply the oil to the mole two to three times a day so that it is completely covered.
8. Try kojic acid. Kojic acid is a white crystalline powder produced by a fungus, the Japanese mushroom Aspergillus oryzae. It suppresses the function of tyrosinase, the protein responsible for the production of the brown pigment melanin.
   • Kojic acid is available in the form of soaps and other products that you can buy at drugstores and supermarkets. Always try a little bit of the product on the skin first and see how your skin reacts. Always follow the directions on the packaging. Apply kojic acid to the birthmark two to three times a day.
   • Kojic acid has been used successfully in the treatment of melasma, a temporary darkening of skin that occurs during pregnancy.
9. If the natural remedies do not give results, consider medical treatment. Pigmented moles are usually not treated medically, although larger moles can be surgically removed. Vascular moles, especially port-wine stains and some hemangiomas (also called strawberry spots because of their appearance as bright red nodules), can be treated with a pulsed dye laser (PDL). In this treatment, a laser is used to heat up and destroy the cells in the birthmark. Repeated treatments may be necessary, but this usually helps fade the moles.
   • A newer type of treatment is called photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which a drug that responds to light is used to treat the birthmark. When stimulated by a specific wavelength of light, the drug (photosensitive substance) is "activated" and destroys the cells within the birthmark. PDT was originally devised for the treatment of skin cancer and has been adapted for the treatment of moles.
   • Both PDL and PDT seem to have equal success.

Part 2 of 2: Understanding different types of birthmarks

1. Determine if you have mole pigmentation. This is a type of birthmark that leaves large amounts of pigment or color in the skin. Common examples of this are:
   • Birthmarks (congenital nevi) - These are generally relatively small, round brownish spots, but can be pink, skin-colored or very dark black. They can be flat or raised and disappear spontaneously. Moles are generally not dangerous, but if they start to itch or bleed, they should be examined by a dermatologist as soon as possible, as some moles can develop into cancer.
   • Coffee stains - These moles have the color of coffee with milk. On dark skin, they can be darker than the surrounding skin. Some coffee stains lighten with age, but they rarely disappear completely.
   • Mongolian spots - These are spots characterized by flat, bluish-gray patches on the skin, usually on the back or buttocks. These moles are often mistaken for bruises. These are usually found in children and often disappear with age.
2. Look for vascular malformations. This type of birthmark can form anywhere on the body and usually does not go away over time. Natural treatments to lighten common moles also do not affect a vascular mole. Instead, you may want to consider medical treatment if you want to fade or remove a vascular mole. Common types of vascular birthmarks are:
   • Hemangiomas - These may be flat or raised accumulations of blood vessels. Raised moles are often referred to as strawberry hemangiomas because of their bright, strawberry-red color. Hemangiomas that are flat usually have a blue or purple color. Both types of hemangiomas usually shrink and fade with age. After the tenth year, most of the hemangiomas have essentially disappeared, leaving a lighter colored area.
   • Salmon or macular spots - These moles are flat with a pink or red color. They are also called "stork bites". In general, salmon stains do not fade with age, but can often be hidden with light makeup. They usually occur above the hairline at the back of the neck, between the eyes, or on the eyelids. These moles are usually seen in younger children, but they are relatively safe and do not require treatment.
   • Port-wine stains - This type of birthmark is often the most problematic and quite common. They are called port-wine stains because they look like someone has spilled red wine on their body. These moles can get bigger and darker with age.
3. Know that there is no known "cause" for birthmarks. They seem to appear randomly and are not a result of anything your mother ate or did during pregnancy. Birthmarks also have nothing to do with good luck or bad luck!
   • Contrary to their name, birthmarks are not necessarily always immediately apparent at birth. Some, such as hemangiomas, may not develop even weeks later.
4. Keep an eye on your birthmark. In general, moles are usually harmless. Unless they start to bleed, itch, change color or shape, they are not dangerous. However, if you notice a mole changing in any way (except fading and getting smaller and smaller), then the best thing to do is play it safe and have the mole examined by a dermatologist.
   • Changes in the size, shape, and color of a birthmark, along with bleeding, crusting, or itching, can be an early warning sign of some skin cancers.

Warnings

• Natural remedies can help lighten pigmented moles, but will not affect vascular moles. For such types of moles, PDL or PDT therapies are your best options.