Re: If you get a scrape on a birthmark, will the mark grow back?

Caroline,
	Good question.  I've always wondered about this too, but never enough to 
scrape one of my birthmarks :).  First, I'm going to tell you what a 
birthmark is, then I'll get to your question.
	Your skin is the color that it is because of something called melanin 
found in your skin.  Darker colored people make more melanin, and lighter 
skinned people make less.  There are cells in your skin called melanocytes 
that make melanin.
	Sometimes, groups of melanocytes get together and start making way too 
much melanin.  This is what's called a birthmark (the scientific name for 
birthmark is "nevus").  That's why birthmarks are darker than the rest of 
your skin.  They have more melanin.  
	Now, your skin has several layers.  The top layer, or "epidermis," 
doesn't have any blood vessels or nerves.  Below that is the dermis, which 
does have blood vessels and nerves.  A birthmark usually ends up down in 
your dermis.  So to get rid of that birthmark, you would have to get a big 
scrape down into your dermis.  Since your dermis has blood vessels and 
nerves, the scrape would bleed and hurt. Also, you would have to get all 
the melanocytes out with that scrape, or you would still have your 
birthmark.  Since most birthmarks are bigger than a scrape, I'd have to say 
that your birthmark will grow back if you just scrape it!
	You can get birthmarks removed by surgery.  The surgeon basically makes 
a big scrape through your epidermis and into your dermis, cutting the whole 
birthmark out. But I think I'd rather live with my birthmarks than have 
surgery!

Bye,
Tom