Bruise facts for kids

A bruise, also called a contusion, is a visible bluish or purplish mark under your skin. It happens when tiny blood vessels under the skin break, and a little bit of blood leaks out. Bruises usually appear after you bump into something or put pressure on an area. They can also show up more easily in older people.

Bruises often hurt, but they are usually not dangerous. Sometimes, a bruise can be a sign of a more serious injury, like a broken bone or bleeding inside the body. For people with lighter skin, new bruises often look blue or purple, which is why people sometimes say "black and blue."

What Happens When You Get a Bruise?

Bruises change color over time. This is because your body is working to fix the bruise by breaking down and cleaning up the leaked blood. As this happens, the bruise goes through different colors before it disappears. You can often guess how old a bruise is by its color:

• When it first appears, it looks red because fresh blood is just under the skin.
• Within the first five days, the blood changes, and the bruise turns bluish-purple or even black.
• Between five and ten days, the bruise often becomes a bit green or yellow.
• After 10 to 14 days, it usually turns yellowish-brown or light brown.

Most bruises take about two weeks to fade away completely. Some people get bruises more easily than others. This might be because their skin tissue is different, they have certain health conditions, or they take specific medicines. Also, as people get older, their blood vessels can become more delicate, making it easier for them to bruise.

Helping Bruises Heal Faster

There are a few things you can do to help a bruise heal and feel better:

• Apply cold: When you first get a bruise, putting something cold on it can help. Cold makes the blood vessels smaller, which slows down the bleeding under the skin and helps reduce swelling. You can put ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap a towel around it. Hold it on the bruise for about 30 minutes to an hour at a time, for a day or two after the injury. Remember not to put ice directly on your skin.

• Elevate the area: If possible, try to keep the bruised part of your body above the level of your heart. For example, if you bruise your leg, prop it up on pillows. This helps gravity pull some of the blood away from the bruise, stopping more blood from leaking out and making the bruise bigger.

• Pain relief: If the bruise hurts, you can use painkillers like those you might take for a headache. Some creams can also help with bruises; they often contain ingredients that help skin heal and reduce pain.

• Gentle massage: After about three days, once any internal bleeding has stopped, gently massaging the bruised area might help. This can increase blood flow, which brings healing factors to the area and helps drain away the trapped blood. However, if massaging hurts, it's best to stop.

For very large bruises, or if they are in sensitive areas like the head, a doctor might need to drain the blood. But most bruises heal on their own.

Bruises as a Sign of Other Conditions

Sometimes, bruises appear without you remembering any bump or injury. These unexplained bruises can sometimes be a sign that something else is going on with your body. For example, some people have conditions where their blood doesn't clot as easily, which can lead to more bruising.

If you get bruises very easily, or if you have bruises that you can't explain, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor. They can check to make sure everything is okay.

Images for kids

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  Bruise caused by a sprained ankle

See also

In Spanish: Contusión para niños