Woman with large port wine stain birthmark on her face reveals she has undergone NINE surgeries to prevent health complications - and how she's learned to love it

A woman with a large port wine stain birthmark on her face has revealed that she has undergone nine surgeries to prevent health complications – but has now learned to love it.

Reagan Baylee, from Los Angeles, has been using her social media platforms to shed light on the intriguing genetic phenomenon, garnering more than 456,500 followers in the process.

‘My birthmark is mainly on my left cheek, covering around 30 per cent of my face,’ she explained.

‘When I was a baby, it didn’t really affect my health much, except for having to have more than a handful of surgeries aimed to address the birthmark and prevent future complications.

‘Luckily, my parents were instrumental in my upbringing, educating me about my condition, boosting my confidence, and showing me how to spread awareness.’

Reagan Baylee, from Los Angeles, has been using her social media platforms to shed light on her port wine stain birthmark

She has undergone nine surgeries to prevent health complications – but has now learned to love it

Port wine stains, which are not hereditary, develop during the first two to eight weeks of gestation due to a mutation of the GNAQ gene – affecting approximately one in every 300 babies.

While port wine stain birthmarks are generally harmless, they can lead to various complications.

Over time, port wine stain birthmarks may exhibit increased vascular growth, causing them to thicken or darken, which is why Reagan started surgeries to address the birthmarks at a young age.

‘I underwent my first treatment when I was just four months old, a time when laser technology was less advanced than it is today,’ she shared.

‘By the time I was five, I had had six surgeries, all aimed at lightening the birthmark and preventing complications later in life. As I grew older, my parents allowed me to make decisions about my treatment.

‘I chose to stop any unnecessary treatments – purely cosmetic ones – and only opted for surgery when I noticed darkening and puffiness around the age of 25.

‘I love my birthmark and feel it is a part of me, so I do the least amount of surgery necessary to simply keep it healthy rather than remove it altogether.’

As an adult, Reagan’s birthmark has minimal impact on her daily life, except for occasional bleeding in her mouth.

Over time, port wine stain birthmarks may exhibit increased vascular growth, causing them to thicken or darken, which is why Reagan started surgeries to address the birthmarks at a young age

As an adult, Reagan’s birthmark has minimal impact on her daily life, except for occasional bleeding in her mouth

Because it is vascular, it changes color in response to temperature changes, which is why diligent sun protection is so important.

Reagan’s daily care typically involves using SPF and staying out of the sun as much as possible following laser surgery.

Another more common complication of port wine stains is children may face teasing or bullying from peers, and adults may encounter insensitive comments or questions, leading to social challenges and discomfort.

While she did face comments, questions, and stares from strangers throughout her life, Reagan says she was fortunately never bullied for her unique appearance.

‘Thankfully, I found kids to be very kind. I have always been very confident but struggled most when I developed acne coupled with my birthmark.

‘Contrary to popular belief, adults are usually the ones to make odd remarks or gestures, as it’s often assumed I have been in an accident or have endured abuse due to the placement of my birthmark on my cheek.

‘The most memorable comment made by a child when I was young was that it looked like I had dried spaghetti sauce on my cheek,’ she noted.

Reagan’s decision to share her story on TikTok stems from her desire to be a representation of others facing similar conditions.

She aspires to inspire others to feel comfortable in their own skin and aims to be the role model she never had in mainstream media as a child.

She said: ‘I chose to stop any unnecessary treatments – purely cosmetic ones – and only opted for surgery when I noticed darkening and puffiness around the age of 25’

Reagan aspires to inspire others to feel comfortable in their own skin and aims to be the role model she never had in mainstream media as a child

In closing, Reagan offered invaluable advice to those experiencing similar conditions.

She encouraged individuals to embrace their uniqueness and not suppress what makes them different.

‘As a society, we tend to suppress the things that make us different. So often, we strive to all look and dress the same.

‘On the contrary, I have found that embracing my appearance and personal style has helped build my confidence more than it ever did while trying to blend in,’ she said.

‘I make friends everywhere I go and do my best to educate as many people as possible to increase awareness and representation for people who might not have perfect skin.

‘My goal always is to normalize the human experience and show people being different is fun.’