Bruises are most common in older people whose skin is thinning with aging. This is due to the fact that collagen, the connective tissue that cushions skin, breaks down, leaving underlying blood vessels more vulnerable. People who take medications for diseases, including blood thinners like aspirin,  also have an increased risk of bruising.

 As a general rule, bruises tend to heal more slowly as you go down the body. In other words, a bruise to the arm heals more quickly hen one to the leg. Bruises on the legs are often the worst, because there is more blood pressure in leg vessels, so they bleed more than blood vessels in the arms

The next time you bruise yourself, you take these measures to help minimize pain and ugliness.

First, if you apply ice right after you bruise your skin, you can limit the size and severity of a bruise and relieve pain. The cold clamps blood vessels shut so that less blood escapes.

Second, diminish the bruise with vitamin K. Look for a brand-name bruise-diminishing cream (sold on this page) containing vitamin K. The cream penetrates your skin and provides vitamin K at the bruise site, which your body needs to break down blood and resorb it.

Bruise Cream with Vitamin K 

It has no dyes and no perfumes and smoothes on evenly. It contains natural ingredients and is hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic.

Vitamin K-Cream with pycnogenol® has the following additional benefits;

• Multiplies collagen (a skin protein) and elastin binding, improving skin
• Smoothness and elasticity
• Slows the wrinkling process
• Suppresses inflammatory enzymes, decreasing puffiness and swelling.
• Obstructs histamine formation, reducing allergic skin reactions
• Strengthens capillaries, arteries and veins, thus reducing leakage and color lines.

Reduces the risk of swelling.