How do we get bruises?

Bruises hurt.

Ouch.

So why is it some of us are so drawn to touching them?

I don't have an answer for that.

But I can tell you what's happening under your skin to cause one.

Let's say you walk into the edge of a sharp piece of furniture.

Right where you hit that edge, the blood vessels get damaged and the blood essentially leaks out.

But it doesn't come out of your body because you didn't break the skin.

You can see that blood pooling under the skin as a pinkish, purpley or blackish area.

Luckily, your body is really good at repairing damaged blood vessels, so a small bruise is usually nothing to worry about.

Over time, your bruise will probably change colors.

That's a sign that your body is breaking down and re absorbing the spilled blood.

As you get older, your skin and blood vessels get more fragile, so older people are more likely to bruise than younger people.

Bruises are pretty common, but if you're getting a lot of them and you don't know why.

Be sure to let an adult or doctor know and maybe move that piece of furniture you keep bumping up against.

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