What is the cause of baby's scalp redness?

The skin of a newborn baby is pink and looks very cute, but after some time it will grow into a skin color similar to that of an adult. Therefore, under normal circumstances, the baby's skin will not remain red for too long. However, some parents find that their children's scalp is also red after a period of time. What's going on?

My son also had a hemangioma when he was born. There was a large area on the upper eyelid of his left eye and the back of his head. There are five common types of hemangiomas, not every type requires treatment, and some will resolve on their own. Please read the following introduction to confirm which type your baby has and then treat it accordingly.

◎Orange spots are present at birth. The spots vary in size and are orange-red or light red. They do not protrude above the surface of the skin and fade when pressed lightly. The color deepens when the baby cries. Orange spots are often seen on the forehead, upper eyelids and occipital region. They usually disappear on their own within a few months after birth and do not require any treatment.

◎Nevus erythematous is also known as port-wine stain. It exists at birth and is a light red or dark red patch that does not fade when pressed. It does not protrude above the surface of the skin. It is located in the dermis and is composed of a network of capillaries. After birth, the nevus erythematosus grows in proportion to the body's growth but no longer expands in area. Erythematous nevus cannot disappear on its own. Apart from affecting the appearance, erythematous nevus generally has no other harm, and cryosurgery can be used when necessary.

◎ Capillary hemangiomas are often seen on the skin, most commonly on the occipital region, head, face, limbs, and back, and many grow on the lips and tongue. Capillary hemangiomas vary in size, with large ones occupying large areas of the face or limbs and small ones being only a few millimeters and slightly above the skin. Capillary hemangiomas usually exist at birth, grow rapidly within 6 months, and gradually stop growing after one or two years of age. It affects the appearance and there is a risk of heavy bleeding if it is damaged, so parents should pay close attention. If the hemangioma is small, grows slowly, and is not in an exposed area, it may resolve on its own after it stops growing. If the hemangioma grows rapidly and seriously affects the appearance, it should be treated immediately. Treatment methods such as isotope application can be used.

◎Cavernous hemangioma can occur in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, and even the liver and kidneys. It is purple-red in appearance, surrounded by tortuous, swollen small veins. It feels soft and elastic, shrinks when squeezed, and recovers when the pressure is released. This hemangioma grows larger as the baby grows older, sometimes becoming very large and deep, seriously damaging the appearance and destroying normal tissue. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment should be started immediately, either by injection of sclerosing agents or surgical excision.

◎ Racemose hemangioma is often seen on the limbs. There are many branch-like dilated blood vessels on and around the surface, which are tortuous and racemose. The local skin is dark red or bluish purple. Sometimes the blood vessel pulsation can be felt or vascular murmurs can be heard. For this type of hemangioma, surgery should be performed as soon as possible, and the limbs can also be bandaged with elastic bandages to relieve symptoms such as limb soreness.

As long as the child's scalp is not too red, it will not have a big impact. Therefore, parents don't need to worry too much. As long as they take good care of their children in daily life and prevent them from suffering from predictable injuries, this is the best thing some qualified parents can do.