Advice please - marks (not birthmark ) on daughter's face - Is there any help ?

[namechangemonday]

I am writing for some advice. I am concerned about my daughter's face. She is nearly 4. She was born with a peaches and cream complexion which she still has. However she has begun to get several other marks on her face. They are not freckles or moles. She has a few freckles as most children do on her nose. The first mark I am concerned about is under her eyebrow (alongside a chicken pox mark she got about a year ago). I then noticed quite a predominant one on her cheek. This may sound vain but it really began to upset me as from her perfect complexion there was then quite a noticeable raised freckle (it is not the size of one freckle it is bigger). I then noticed one other further down her cheek and last week 2 more on her cheek (so she has 4 on one side of her face). They are not mid brown not dark dark but they are more raised then freckles - you can feel them if you run your hand over her skin.

I have been to the GP twice in the last year but cannot get taken seriously. While I appreciate that some children have proper facial issues this is still important to me even if it seems trivial to others. I am concerned she will get more and more of these and at the least I want the big picture to be under observation. I have private insurance so this does not have to be done on NHS.

One GP said she is too young to have anything done so will not refer me (even privately) and the second GP told me the large one was a viral wart (???) not a freckle as too raised and will probably go of its own accord. We already have relations saying oh look she had a bit of dirtt on her cheek and trying to brush away (no actually it is a [whatever it is]!) = so annoying - and she will be starting school soon and if this is something that needs to be kept under observation I want it to be.

Has anyone got any suggestions on what I can do? I do not think the birth marks support group will be interested as it is not a normal birth mark. Is there a particularly expert someone could recommend or a centre of excellence? What treatments might be suitable when she is older? I really don't just want to pick a dermatologist out of the air to choose to see. I am hoping there may be some experts on here. It is very upsetting not to be being taken seriously. Thank you

[SorciereAnna]

London dermatologist who my aunt absolutely adores - she has had lots of cancerous and pre-cancerous skin conditions and thinks this man is fabulous.

[lynniep]

Its really hard to comment because (and I apologise for perhaps trivialising it when thats exactly what you dont want) it doesnt sound that bad from how you're describing it. But like you say, it may get more pronounced in the future.

In fact it sounds like moles even though you say it isnt. How big are they exactly in diameter? Its not really possible to visualise with 'bigger than a freckle' since they vary so much.

Whereabouts are you for recommendations of dermatologist?

[cocolepew]

Did you not believe it was a viral wart? Do you think it's something else?

[namechangemonday]

I am in North London. The GP said they were not moles ..I can't remember why but she did give a reason at the time. They are not very raised lumps as moles can be but more like a very large freckle (maybe 2-4 times normal size) that is raised a bit. I know it is probably not very bad to many but they look really striking against her complexion and over the last 9 months they have all come out.

No idea what a viral wart is. Sounds like medico mumbo jumbo for don't know what the thing is. In any event it sounds like something one might treat though and not just leave. She thought one was this not all 4.

[thatsnotmymonster]

I have a friend whose dd has skin tags- they sound quite similar to what you are describing- only she has them everywhere except her face. She has regular blood tests etc but they are apparantly harmless and will hopefully go away as she gets older.

[PacificWerewolfwoohood]

Could it be something like this?

Either way, I do not think you are at all unreasonable to seek a dermatological opinion.
BTW, most hand warts and verrucas are viral warts, there are a couple dozen varieties, so very common and can appear on kid's faces. They disappear themselves again after a few months or sometimes years and are best left alone (on the face anyway) to avoid scarring.

HTH .

[namechangemonday]

Thanks all - I think I need to put my foot down for a referral. What does a skin tag look like? Is it where skin kind of flaps up(I got this when I was pregnant) these are still flat to her face.