According to the Mayo Clinic, bruising easily is common with age and most bruises are harmless and go away without treatment. Some people are more prone to bruising than are others.  As you get older, several factors can contribute to bruising easily…

1) Aging capillaries. Over time, the tissues supporting these vessels weaken, and capillary walls become more fragile and prone to rupture.

2) Thinning skin. With age, skin becomes thinner and loses some of the protective fatty layer that helps cushion blood vessels from injury. Excessive exposure to the sun accelerates this process.  Use of sunscreen can help prevent skin damage associated with sun exposure.

3) Blood-thinning drugs. Aspirin and warfarin (Coumadin) or medications such as clopidogrel (Plavix) reduce the blood’s ability to clot. As a result, bleeding from capillary damage might take longer than usual to stop — which allows enough blood to leak out and cause a bruise.

Do not stop taking a medication if you experience increased bruising. Consult your doctor about your concerns.

And make sure your doctor is aware of any supplements you are taking — especially if you’re taking them while on a blood-thinning drug. Your doctor might recommend avoiding certain over-the-counter medications or supplements.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/easy-bruising/HQ00355

Everyone knows that a bump to the skin can cause a bruise to form. More seriously, there are some medical conditions to consider if unusual or chronic bruising is experienced. For the most part, bruises are a condition treated by time – sooner or later they will disappear. Among the handful of topical bruise treatments thought to help the discoloration of a bruise clear up faster are products containing arnica montana.

Arnica is also believed to help lessen expected bruising from surgery or invasive cosmetic procedures if it is applied a few days before and after. BruiseCare X8 Treatment Balm, which contains arnica in a potent 8% concentration, has been clinically proven to improve the appearance of bruises faster than in untreated skin.

Check out this segment from the Dr. Oz Show about bruising – why bruises form and the most common causes and treatments. One of his recommendations is to use arnica, and he explains how arnica helps the body heal the bruise faster. Click the image below to view the video.

“I’m 73 years old and play racquetball three times a week with a co-worker who is 10 years younger than I am.

Needless to say, I can be the brunt of some pretty good bruising during our games. My daughter gave me your BruiseCare product to try and it has really worked well to speed the healing process and reduce the pain of the bruises.

Staying active is a key ingredient in staying healthy, so I plan on staying active as long as I can.” -Ron G.

Thanks Ron! You can check out more BruiseCare® reviews, as well as before/after photography, by clicking here!

Arnica Montana is a powerful homeopathic anti-inflammatory that helps the body re-absorb trapped blood and fluid more efficiently. These properties make this natural botanical extremely beneficial for bruised skin.¹

Arnica, also known as leopard’s bane, wolfsbane, mountain tobacco and other names has been used for medicinal purposes since the 1500’s. Applied to the skin as a balm, cream, ointment, liniment, salve, or tincture–Arnica has been used to soothe muscle aches, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. It is commonly used as a bruise treatment and for injuries such as sprains. As an herb, Arnica is generally used only topically (on the skin) because it can cause serious side effects when taken by mouth. ²

Arnica Montana is a yellow flowering herb that has been that has natural analgesic properties and can be harvested as flowers or roots. Flowers bloom from mid-summer to autumn, and after the leaves die back the roots can be harvested. ³

The plant itself is a perennial that grows to a height of 1 – 2 feet with yellow-orange flowers similar to daisies. Arnica Montana is native to the mountains of Europe and Siberia, and is cultivated in North America. 3  Arnica is found on the Eastern Seaboard of North America and in western states as far north as Alaska. It grows in moist meadows and along the edges of woodlands. ²

1) SkinHealth Technology

2) University of Maryland Medical Center

3) How to Harvest Arnica Montana | eHow.com

It is not surprising that people who suffer from skin conditions can develop related emotional problems. The two conditions often fuel one another and create a cycle that is difficult to break. What is surprising is the extent to which this occurs.

In fact, there is an emerging sub-specialty of psychology, called psychodermatology, that helps patients deal with this aspect of their condition.

Here are some findings from the American Academy of Dermatology and other skin groups:¹

• Major depression is one of the main results of chronic skin disorders.
• Suicidal thoughts are another consequence. Consider some statistics on psoriasis. About 5% of the 4.5 American adults with psoriasis have suicidal thoughts – three times the rate of the general population.
• Other psychosocial side effects of skin conditions are social withdrawal, anger, frustration, and lack of confidence.
• 26% of people with moderate to severe psoriasis have been forced to change or discontinue their normal daily activities.
• Adults with acne face higher rates of unemployment than the general population.
• Kids with skin disorders suffer, too. Two out of five of these children have some psychosocial impairment.

SkinHealth Technology’s line of effective dermatological skincare products are designed to treat chronic skin conditions like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, and benign purpura–the often severe bruising that can occur as skin ages.

1) Grosbart PhD, Ted. “The Emotional Impact of Skin Problems.” Psychology Today 9 Jan. 2010: 9 pars. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. .

Anti-aging products are more in demand than ever, but what do you picture when you think of these products? Do you envision wrinkled faces and necks – maybe sun damage on the décolletage (the chest area)? That makes sense, because those are the parts of the body that are the prominent focal point of every personal interaction.

Even so, there are other parts of the body that, receive more than their share of exposure to the main culprit in skin aging – UV rays from the sun. This exposure happens even if you have not been a sun worshiper or suffered many sunburns. The UVA rays that are consistent year round are responsible for the majority of wrinkling, collagen break down, and age spots. The hands and arms receive almost as much of this exposure as the face.

Along with wrinkling and roughness, the skin on the arms becomes particularly vulnerable to bruising as we age. The collagen that provides a cushion between the skin and the capillaries breaks down. The capillaries weaken and can leak blood under the skin, so that every little bump has the potential to produce ugly bruises that are slow to heal. When you see arms and hands with that bruised appearance, doesn’t old age come to mind?

Expanding the anti-aging battlefront to the arms doesn’t have to be a challenge. While there are not as many products on the market that focus on areas other than the face and neck, they do exist.

BruiseCare® X8 Treatment Balm contains arnica montana in combination with peptides, polysaccharides, and skin conditioners – a formula that provides outstanding results for arm bruising. When used over time it can help restore the elasticity, rebuild collagen, and rejuvenate the skin on your arms and hands for an overall more youthful appearance.

Peptides occur naturally in the body, and like proteins, are composed of amino acids. There are twenty different amino acids in the human body. Peptides and proteins in the body are comprised of different combinations and sequences of those amino acids. When a chain of amino acids is over 50 acids long, it is called a protein, when it contains less than 50 amino acids in the chain it is a peptide. So, a peptide is a portion, or a building block, of a protein.

All peptides influence or direct the cells of the body in some way. Different types of peptides influence different types of cells. The peptides used in SkinHealth Technology’s skincare products communicate with and direct the skin cells to behave in a certain way to help heal tough conditions like psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, bruising, and acne.

They utilize glycosaminoglycans, which are peptides that inhibit enzymes that degrade and ultimately destroy the skin’s collagen network. Pollution, ultraviolet rays and age decrease the skin’s ability to resist external irritants. These peptides restore the skin’s normal equilibrium, decrease irritation and help the skin resist external assaults.

Purpura (from Latin: purpura, meaning “purple”) is the appearance of red or purple discolorations on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure. They are caused by bleeding underneath the skin.

Benign (from Latin bene-, “well” and -gnus, “born”) is a medical term used to describe a condition that is harmless.

Benign Purpura are blood spots under the skin that are innocuous. Although Purpura might look like typical bruises, they are not caused by an injury as most regular bruises are. Benign Purpura is a very common condition caused by the normal aging process, long-term sun exposure, or is often an unwanted side effect of prescription drugs like blood thinners and steroids. It is a chronic condition that appears on the hands, arms, legs.

“Older adults often bruise easily from minor injuries, especially injuries to the forearms, hands, legs, and feet. As a person ages, the skin becomes less flexible and thinner because there is less fat under the skin. The cushioning effect of the skin decreases as the fat under the skin decreases. These changes, along with skin damage from exposure to the sun, cause blood vessels to break easily. When blood vessels break, bruising occurs.”

According to WebMD, “Bruises develop when small blood vessels under the skin tear or rupture, most often from a bump or fall. Blood leaks into tissues under the skin and causes the black-and-blue color. As bruises (contusions) heal, usually within 2 to 4 weeks, they often turn colors, including purplish black, reddish blue, or yellowish green.”

SkinHealth Technology’s BruiseCare Solutions offer a natural and effective purpura treatment.

As a dermatologist, my cardiology colleagues commonly ask me for help in dealing with patient questions about bruising.  Cardiologists inherently see more elderly patients than young ones and bruising can be very common as we age.  This patient population is often present with noticeable and unsightly bruises, especially on their extremities.  As a side note, in rare occasions unexplained bruising could be a sign of a more serious problem and you should not be afraid to discuss that with your doctor.

Most bruises form when small blood vessels called capillaries, which are near the skin’s surface, are broken by a minor (or major) impact to the skin.  When this happens, blood leaks out of the vessels and initially appears as a bright red spot which can quickly appear purple or even black.  Eventually, your body is able to reabsorb this blood that was trapped outside the vessel, and the mark usually slowly disappears, although, a bruise mark can leave a dyspigmented brown spot in its place.

As you get older, several factors may contribute to increased bruising, including aging capillaries.

Over time, the tissues that support these vessels weaken, and the capillary walls become more fragile and prone to rupture.  Also, thinning skin is a major contributor; with age your skin becomes thinner and loses some of the protective “fatty” layer that helps cushion your blood vessels against injury.  Excessive exposure to the sun accelerates the aging process of the skin.  Many patients state that they have no recollection of any trauma to their skin – they just suddenly have a bruise for no explainable reason.

Also, a cardiologist’s patients are commonly on blood thinning drugs such as aspirin, warfarin, or Plavix.  These medicines reduce the blood’s ability to clot.  Because of this, bleeding from capillary damage that would normally stop quickly may take longer, allowing more blood to leak out and cause a larger bruise.  These older patients tend to be on medications for other inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, as well. These medications called NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and corticosteroids can cause the skin to thin, making it bruise easier.   And certain dietary supplements such as fish oil and ginkgo may increase your bruising risk since these supplements have a blood-thinning effect.  As frustrating as this type of bruising can be, these above-mentioned medications are important to treat critical conditions and should not be stopped without discussing the necessity of them further with your doctor.

To help prevent the appearance of these bruises, you should keep your skin well moisturized and protected from the sun. You can also begin a topical therapy using a bruise treatment that contains ingredients such as Arnica Montana to help the body reabsorb the blood and Canadian Willowherb to reduce inflammation.  Follow this with a conditioning product that includes ingredients to strengthen the skin on the surface and refortify the deeper layers to protect these fragile capillaries.  This therapy, using the right products, can help restore the skin’s natural ability respond to bruising.

Maybe you’ve just acquired a nasty bruise through some type of injury or trauma –or perhaps you are like millions of others who deal with chronic bruising of the hands, arms, and legs. This common condition, medically known as benign purpura, is caused by the aging process, sun exposure, or is often an unwanted side effect of some prescription drugs like blood thinners and steroids.

According to WebMD:

“Bruises develop when small blood vessels under the skin tear or rupture, most often from a bump or fall. Blood leaks into tissues under the skin and causes the black-and-blue color. As bruises (contusions) heal, usually within 2 to 4 weeks, they often turn colors, including purplish black, reddish blue, or yellowish green.”

If you’ve searched for answers on how to get rid of a bruise, no doubt you have come across some pretty interesting and even bizarre remedies. It’s often suggested to apply ice to and elevate the affected area. That may prove helpful to minimize the bruising—if you’re aware you’re about to bruise. The truth is, most of the time a bruise appears before we even know how it got there. And up until now, the only way to actually get rid of a bruise was to allow time for the body to heal by absorbing the trapped blood and fluid.

A Florida-based skincare company, SkinHealth Technology, recently introduced a truly fast and effective, clinically proven treatment for bruised skin. Almost 75% of patients showed improvements in bruised skin compared to those with non-treated skin in just seven days. And it dramatically increased the skin’s resistance to further bruising by 60% in only two weeks.

BruiseCare®X8 Treatment Balm contains Arnica Montana, a powerful homeopathic anti-inflammatory that helps the body reabsorb trapped blood and fluid more efficiently. This time-proven botanical was blended at an 8% concentration with three other advanced ingredients – a peptide, a polysaccharide and an anti-oxidant. Now that’s how to get rid of a bruise!