Why do I bruise easily?

But ‘WHY do I bruise easily?’ you’re wondering– find out why you’re covered in bruises you don’t remember getting!

If you’re an active person, bruises are pretty much a part of your life. You can get a bruise from playing sports, lifting weights, or colliding into people or objects, and they’re rarely serious. If, however, you find that you bruise very easily, you may be wondering why. The good news is that we’ve got the answers for the ‘why do I bruise easily’ questions below…

What is a Bruise?

A bruise is formed when the capillaries–tiny blood vessels beneath your skin–are injured, either from an impact, a blow, or some other form of trauma. The injury can break the capillaries, leading to red blood cells leaking out. The red blood cells spread out under your skin, leading to the purplish discoloration that you know as bruising.

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Reasons You Bruise Easily

Here are a few reasons that more bruises are showing up on your skin:

You’re getting older — As you grow older, your skin begins to lose the layers of fat that have protected it from damage for so long. Your skin’s production of collagen–the protein that keeps your skin fresh and strong–is also reduced as you age. It not only leaves you more susceptible to bruising, but it takes longer for your skin to repair itself.
You take aspirin –– Many people take aspirin on a very regular basis as a means of dealing with a headache, back pains, etc. Aspirin causes your blood to thin, as it disables the platelets that form blood clots. Even minor trauma can lead to bruising, as there is no way for the blood to clot once the capillaries are damaged.
You spend time in the sun — People who spend a lot of time under the bright rays of the sun tend to have thinner skin, and that skin is much more susceptible to bruising. UV light damages collagen, eliminating it from the skin.
You have vasculitis –– Vasculitis is a number of diseases that can cause inflammation in your blood vessels, and is characterized by a type of bruising called purpura. The blood vessels tend to burst as a result of the chronic inflammation, leading to the formation of bruises.
Your skin is very fair and very thin –– Some people are naturally thin-skinned, meaning they have less adipose fatty tissue beneath their skin to protect the blood vessels from damage. Even minor bangs and bumps can cause the blood vessels to be damaged, leading to bruises. Varicose and spider veins can also make your skin more susceptible to bruising.
You’re not getting enough citrus in your diet –– Citrus fruit is a very important part of a healthy diet, thanks to the fact that it’s loaded in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for your eyes, your bones, your digestion, and your immune system, but it also plays a very important role in the production of collagen–the protein that protects your skin and helps to repair any damage. Without sufficient Vitamin C, your body cannot produce enough of the collagen that will stop impacts from causing bruising. Your blood vessels are left unprotected, and thus are more susceptible to damage.

Now do you understand why you bruise so easily? There are many things that can cause bruising, and the list of reasons above will help you to figure out which is the one behind your tendency to bruise so easily.

To avoid bruising, protect your skin from the sun, add more citrus to your diet, stop taking aspirin, and use collagen-producing lotions to protect your aging skin.