Why do some people bruise more easily?

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Published Jul 28, 2016

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London - A bruise is simply an area of discoloured skin caused by an impact that has ruptured the blood vessels just underneath the surface.

We all bruise more with age because our levels of collagen (a protein that helps to keep skin firm) diminish every year, so blood vessels are more likely to pop, says Dr Sam Shuster, an emeritus professor of dermatology at the University of Newcastle.

‘And women are likely to bruise more easily because they are born with less collagen — probably because historically, men were hunters and needed tough skin to protect them from animal attacks.’

But why do some people of the same age and gender bruise more easily than others?

‘It would be down to several factors including your natural collagen levels, the capability of your blood vessels to withstand force and how your blood clots.

‘Those factors differ from person to person. Genetics also comes into it — if you have a parent who bruises easily, it is more likely that you will.’

Daily Mail

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