July• 2019 | 23a combination of UV-ray damage and
ageing. But again, it’s benign. If you
ever want to camouflage bruising,
Dr Pasquali says, use whichever hue
is complementary to it on the colour
wheel. For instance, a green-tinted
concealer followed by a skin-coloured
one should do the trick for reddish-
purple blemishes.
Getting older aside, some people
simply bruise more than others.
A tendency to turn black and blue
from minor injuries seems to run in
some families, and as a general rule,
women tend to be more susceptible
than men.(Scientists are
still exploring precisely
why that is the case.)
For another possible
explanation, look to
your medications. “The
long-term use of oral or
topical corticosteroids
[anti-inflammatory
drugs prescribed for
arthritis and eczema,
among other conditions]
can cause the skin
to thin, making it more prone to
bruising,” says Dr Pasquali.
Drugs that reduce blood clotting
(such as aspirin, warfarin and
rivaroxaban) are also common
culprits. They make it so that
capillary bleeding takes longer to
stop, resulting in bigger and more
noticeable marks. This doesn’t mean
you should stop your prescription,
particularly if you’re taking
medication to control the risk of
life-threatening events, such as heart
attack or stroke.
Do discuss the matter with your
doctor, though. “Changing the dose
or type of medication might be
considered,” says Dr Jecko Thachil,
co-author of a 2017British Medical
Journalarticle about easy bruising
in adults. “And the doctor should
determine whether the medication
is indeed causing the problem.” To
this end, they might want to take a
detailed medical history from you.
Although bruises are usually no
cause for alarm, there
are exceptions. If you
have one that’s severely
swollen and painful,
rather than just mildly
puffy and sore, your
injury might be a
sprain or fracture that
requires attention.
You should also talk
with your doctor if you
suddenly get a lot of
bruises, if they don’t
fade away with time or if they keep
showing up for no apparent reason- especially if it’s in less injury-
prone areas, such as your back,
torso or face. “They could be a sign
of medical problems such as scurv y,
leukaemia, kidney disease or liver
failure,” says Dr Pasquali.
In short, follow the same rule that
applies to any other bodily change:
when in doubt, check it out.
Ice a new
bruise for about
ten minutes
to limit
the internal
bleeding