28-year-old Danielle Lipple was born with an unusual birthmark on her face called a vascular malformation. It’s an abnormal development of blood vessels on the lower part of the face and neck, as well as on the inside of the mouth and throat. Danielle has been relentlessly trying to remove it her entire life, undergoing about 20 laser surgeries to at least lighten the mark.
In an interview, Danielle mentioned that her parents always told her not to think of her birthmark as a “bad” thing. Still, despite that, she decided to continue treatment because the blemish is not just a cosmetic nuisance and can also cause bleeding. The girl now feels like it’s “a part of her,” but it upsets her when strangers tell her she “shouldn’t get rid of it,” which is completely fair. Not your body – not your problem.
Still, they tell Danielle she can’t hide it and that she is beautiful the way she is, as if any of their words matter to her. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that different people treat their bodies differently. Sometimes, Danielle loves her unique features, and sometimes, they make her very sad.
All those people staring at her must have felt awful. Sure, most of them were simply curious, but sometimes those daggers hurt either way. Danielle’s parents had to point out to strangers time after time that it’s not a bruise, it’s not a rash, it’s just a birthmark.
Her parents decided to treat Danielle’s birthmark from an early age and took her to several laser surgeries when she was a child. According to the girl, they made it a very pleasant experience. “It was like being pelted with tiny snowballs. First it burns, then it’s cold, then it’s hot again,” said Danielle.
When she hit 13, Danielle had to undergo surgery on her lower lip because it had started to increase in size due to excessive blood flow. At that time, she underwent sclerotherapy, a procedure during which a solution is injected into the lip that cuts off the blood supply.
Danielle calls it the worst operation she’s ever had. It caused a third-degree burn that turned into a scab that healed very slowly. Needless to say, the procedure was very unpleasant. Two years later, at the age of 15, Danielle underwent two plastic surgeries that further reduced the size of her lower lip. Over time, Danielle became more confident in her appearance.
Danielle met a handsome 28-year-old engineer named Zackary in college and said he responded wonderfully when she first showed him her birthmark. It didn’t take the couple long to get to know each other better and eventually get married. In 2019, Danielle decided to continue the laser treatment because there was a risk of her lip growing out of control again and the blood vessels could bleed.
In the end, it is what it is, and she has to live with the birthmark. Danielle has never considered herself a victim. The mark is part of who she is, and as long as her family and friends give her love and moral support, it’s not a big deal.
