Why does the skin of older people bruise so easily?
As people age, the skin becomes thinner and fat padding under the skin is lost. Thus, blood vessels are less protected from injury. An injury inflicted by mild traumafor example, bumping against a table or being hit by a tennis ballmay result in a substantial bruise. In some instances, bruising may be an indication of an underlying condition. Bruises that appear for no apparent reason may indicate a bleeding disorder. Anti-clotting medications may cause bleeding under the skin.
