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- $Unique_ID{BRK01963}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Flame Marks: Causes and Treatments}
- $Subject{Flame mark Marks cause Causes treat treatment Treatments birthmark
- birthmarks psychological problem problems port wine stain stains nevus
- flammeus tattoo tattooing laser lasers surgery surgeries operation operations
- operate}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Flame Marks: Causes and Treatments
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- QUESTION: I am seeking information about a condition called a "flame mark".
- It is on the face of my friend who won't discuss it with me. Does this mean
- she was caught in a fire, and that this is the result of being burnt? I love
- her dearly, and would like to be of some help for her. She is really a
- beautiful young woman, and I think she just needs someone to take an interest
- and tell her what to do. Can you help me help her?
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- ANSWER: You may be biting off more than you can chew, for many people who
- have such birthmarks often develop psychological problems about them as well,
- and just can't talk about it. To start with, a "flame mark" is a birth mark,
- and they can be located anywhere on the body. About 3 out of every 1000
- babies born have such marks, also known as "port wine stains" or by their
- scientific name "nevus flammeus" (or "flame birthmark"). They can be of any
- size, and are made up of a dense network of blood vessels located just beneath
- the skin. Such a mark is not the result of a burn injury, since they are
- present at birth, nor do they have any connection with prenatal events,
- although there are many stories of a mother being frightened by a fire, and
- then giving birth to a marked child. They don't seem to be inherited either,
- as they don't run in families, and there are no explanations that can offer a
- clue to their origins. But they do cause embarrassment, and people, often
- children, can be cruel and inflict real pain on individuals who bear these
- innocent marks. You may be seeing some of that pain in the attitude of your
- friend.
- Yet there is hope and there are treatments. While some of the
- techniques, like tattooing, provide less than satisfactory results, newer
- methods can eradicate these marks. The use of a yellow light pulsed dye laser
- can offer real hope. The procedure is generally performed in the office of
- the specialists who have been specially trained to treat these skin markings.
- An obstacle may be the cost of the treatment and the fact that many insurance
- plans do not cover a procedure they consider to be merely cosmetic. But it
- does provide a reason for real hope. I might suggest that you approach this
- subject with your friend by giving her this article. It will show your
- concern, provide her with the information and open the door to more
- conversation if she wishes to discuss this with you.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-