Last week I noticed I had a big bruise on my torso. I had no clue where it came from. Was it from carrying the metal-edged laundry basket against my rib cage as I brought it upstairs from the laundry room? I was trying to remember what I could have done to myself.
Today, I received an email from FabOverFifty inviting me to test one of their products. (To be a tester for FabOverFifty, you have to “join” the panel of tests for $25. While it’s probably worth it because they guarantee that you’ll receive a certain number of full-size skincare/beauty products over the year, I haven’t signed up.) The product was called DerMend Bruise Healing Formula and retails for $29.99. I never realized there was such a product. It got me to thinking that there must be a relationship between bruising and aging.
I googled “bruising” and found lots of articles discussing the relationship between bruising and aging. First, bruises occur as a result of a blow to capillaries located close to the skin. Blood pools under the skin and turns color. In terms of the relationship between bruising and aging, here’s what I learned:
- As you age, your capillary walls get weaker making rupture more probable.
- As you age, your skin get thinner making bruising more visible.
- Medications that thin the blood make bruising more likely. Medications such as blood thinners and aspirin or dietary supplements such as fish oil, ginger, garlic, and gingko have this effect. (I take both fish oil and baby aspirin daily.)
In addition to bruising getting more likely with age, bruising is more common in women than men most likely because women’s skin is thinner (ha ha).
Frankly, I don’t think I need another skincare product to treat my bruises. Thankfully, they do disappear on their own. But I’m glad to now know why I’m seeing bruises more often.
Have any of you experienced more frequent bruising, or am I the only one?? And don’t you just love the street art heart I saw in Lisbon?
Yes, a bit more bruising. I lifted my arm and my husband was like .. what’s that bruising from? I think it was from the weekend I put the dog into the pool for a swimming lesson and he didn’t quite want to go .. lol. Anyway, the dog can swim and we just want him to know which direction to go to get out. So if I’m a bit bruised, that’s ok.
Monica, http://www.pear-shaped-gal.com
Monica P recently posted…Casual dinner in the desert
Great story, Monica! Definitely worth a little black & blue 😉
This actually runs in my family.I believe the thin skin has a lot to do with it but, seriously,as people in my family get older they bruise so easily and much of the time don’t even know where the bruises came from.
That’s what happened to me too, Laura, but then somewhat surprisingly the bruising seemed to get much less frequent and I don’t know why. They say pineapple juice helps heal a bruise but not sure why. Can’t just be the vitamin C!