mikhail gorbachev got us talking about birth marks
from inspiring travel fads and rousing cartoonists to helping a u.s. brewery name a new beer, the red blemish that sat on the former soviet leader's forehead became one of the things he was most known for.
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(files) in this file photo taken on december 25, 1991 soviet president mikhail gorbachev reads his resignation statement shortly before appearing on television in moscow, to announce his decision to the nation. - the last leader of the soviet union, mikhail gorbachev, died on august 30, 2022 at the age of 91 in russia, said a hospital quoted by russian news agencies. (photo by vitaly armand / afp) (photo by vitaly armand/afp via getty images)
former soviet leader mikhail gorbachev died at the age of 91 on tuesday after a “serious and protracted disease,” hospital officials in moscow said.
as reuters reports, tributes from world leaders and notaries have come flooding in for the soviet president who ended the cold war without bloodshed and forged partnerships with the west to remove the iron curtain and bring about the reunification of germany. he unleashed a series of significant changes, but failed to prevent the collapse of the soviet union.
european commission chief ursula von der leyen said gorbachev, who was awarded the nobel peace prize in 1990, had opened the way for a free europe.
“he gave freedom to hundreds of millions of people in russia and around it, and also half of europe,” said former russian liberal opposition leader grigory yavlinsky. “few leaders in history have had such a decisive influence on their time.”
u.s. president joe biden said he had believed in “glasnost and perestroika — openness and restructuring — not as mere slogans, but as the path forward for the people of the soviet union after so many years of isolation and deprivation.”
gorbachev also played a role in pop culture, becoming well known for the prominent birthmark on his forehead — known as a port-wine stain. according to the indian express, the mark, which sat above his right eyebrow was featured prominently by cartoonists who drew him around the world, and although gorbachev never tried to conceal it, official portraits of him in the soviet union were sometimes retouched to hide it.
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travel decisions based on gorbachev’s birth mark
the birth mark even inspired “shape-cations” — where travellers choose their vacation based on the shape of the location. in 2011, russian tour operators reported an increase in the number of rise trips to durak aprel, which, at the time, was a mostly unknown archipelago off the north-eastern siberian coast — a rise blamed on the fact that the group of islands resembled gorbachev’s birthmark, travel magazine liligo reported.
and although the brew seems to be no longer available, in 2017, some people were posting about enjoying a pint or two of “fifty shades of gorbachev’s birthmark,” by illinois’ hopvine brewing company.
what are port-wine stains?
this skin blemish, named for its red-wine colour, is present from birth and most often affects the face or arms, but can appear anywhere on the body, according to mount sinai health system.
they are caused by a malformation of tiny blood vessels in the skin and form as flat and pink on infants. as the child grows, the stain also grows, darkens in colour and can become thick and take on a pebbly appearance. while they may fade a little with time, port-wine stains usually last for life.
port-wine stains are simple birthmarks and not a sign of any other health concern. in rare cases, though, port-wine stains on the face are accompanied by malformations of blood vessels in the brain. this is a serious condition known as sturge-weber syndrome that can cause mental delays, blindness strokes and seizures, says the cleveland clinic. estimates suggest that they occur in about three in every 1,000 people.
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to note, port-wine stains are different from the related birthmarks known as strawberry hemangiomas, or blood vessel growths, that appear as bumpy, dark red marks. these may appear at birth or develop during infancy and generally get larger during the first six to 12 months of life, says the cleveland clinic. most disappear in early childhood — 10 per cent are gone by the child’s first birthday and 90 per cent fade away by age 10.
port-wine stains can cause emotional stress
deformity and increasing disfigurement can result, along with the development of glaucoma in people with port-wine stains on the eyelids, says mount sinai. there is also the potential for emotional stress and social problems related to appearance.
the stigma of having a disfiguring facial birthmark can lead to significant adverse psychosocial effects. while most studies have looked at the treatments for port-wine stains, a review of the literature on the psychological affects and quality of life for those affected, was published in 2021 in the journal clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology. researchers found that early treatment, psychological assistance and patient support are important to improve the quality of life of patients.
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are there any treatments for port-wine stains?
while people can opt to use a masking makeup to cover up the birthmark, laser therapy is cited as the most successful treatment to remove port-wine stains. it works by destroying the problematic tiny blood vessels in the skin without serious skin damage, leaving a more natural-looking skin surface. it’s not always satisfactory, however, so patients may be advised to forgo treatments.
the recommendation by the medical community is to have all birthmarks looked at by a health-care provider during a routine exam.
movement toward acceptance and body positivity
in a positive light, social media has become a place of promotion for body positivity, with people proudly displaying what makes them unique — including their port-wine stains, glamour magazine says.
one woman who shared a selfie wrote: “when you find beauty in yourself and the warrior peaks through,” while another accompanied hers with a super-candid caption, which read: “i was born with a condition called port wine stain, or commonly known as hemangioma on the left side of my face, covering my cheeks, chin, all the way down to my neck.”
another young woman told good housekeeping magazine that after more than a decade of hiding her facial port-wine stain under a layer of foundation because of stares and bullying, she’s letting people see the real her.
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karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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