I see pictures all over the fet, and blogs almost constantly of the bruises people are proud of from their scenes. These can vary from a few popped vessels, to a solid purple patch the size of my hand.
And, to be honest, I question all of it. I'm never sure if it's due to the fact that they bruise easily, or what their pain tolerance is, or what makes them mark up the way they do. I personally don't mark up terribly easily on most of my person, unless you're using enough force to actually hurt me, which makes things convenient, and helps me not look like I'm in a constant state of fending off attempted murder.
So, I looked it all up. I researched what makes some people bruise more easily than others, and why certain body parts are likely to bruise with little effort compared to others.
You know, for SCIENCE!
Because I would never use this information to my own advantage.
Now, what a bruise is exactly, is damaged capillary vessels under the skin, which leak blood, as well as trauma to the tissue underneath. the blood is what gives the bruise its dark color in the beginning, and as the blood moves and dissipates back into the body, the damaged tissue provides the yellowish tone as it finishes healing. While it's bright red, and raised, it is actually more blood being called to the area to help clot it off and keep the blood from flowing, which would make a larger bruise.
First off, Everything I read stated that women bruise more easily than men. I've got a few ideas as to why this is, and they'll be included in what I've found.
One of the biggest things that contributes to someone's ability to bruise, is the thickness of their blood vessels. Thicker vessels can take more of a pounding, because they're harder to damage enough to perforate. Unfortunately, this is a hereditary trait, and nothing can be done to help with this.
Your blood's ability to clot also helps prevent bruising. Hemophiliacs, and those on blood thinners will bruise more easily than those who have blood that clots quickly, because less blood will escape the vessels when they are damaged.
Good circulation also helps fight bruising. Poor circulation, like that of a diabetic, makes clotting slow down because less blood cells can make it to the damage in the vessel to clot it up. The poor circulation also keeps the blood that has made it out of the vessel to stay around longer, because there is less movement in tissue around it to force it all to spread around and disperse.
Deficiency in vitamins B12, C, and K also cause bruising to occur with less force necessary, so diet can make someone mark up differently.
Now, for more noticeable things.
Thinner people are more prone to bruising. They don't have the fatty tissue to protect the vessels, and lessen a blow. This is why everyone winds up with a bruise when they knock their shin on something, or why my chest seems to bruise faster than any other part of my person.
Obese people also bruise easily, because the fatty tissue is likely to stretch the skin more, making it more easily damaged, as it is already under some stress. This is why we often see pictures up of women with large breasts, bruised to a deep purple, because not only is it an area with a lot of blood vessels (the closer to the chest, the more vessels there are) but the skin is stretched due to the amount of fatty tissue in each breast. There's also the fact that most overweight people tend to be more sedentary, which leads to poor circulation, but I'll leave that out of it.
So, I'm going to guess that women tend to bruise more easily because so many strive to be as thin as possible that they don't have enough fatty tissue to actually protect themselves. As well, breasts, bum, and hips tend to carry the most fat, and sets the strain which makes the skin more easily damaged. Men tend to have a more uniform amount of fat or muscle all around, which makes them more difficult to mark up. They also are more likely to have a high activity job, which promotes good circulation. This is all a guess on my research though, but it makes enough sense to me.
One thing that I wasn't surprised about, was that skin tone has nothing to do with it. Those with a pasty white complexion don't bruise more easily, but more noticeably. It is simply easier to see a change in tone due to the trauma, as compared to someone with darker skin. The darker the skin, the more difficult it is to see a change in shade from the blood under the skin tissue.
Well, now that I know all of this, I kind of want to play with the knowledge I've gained a bit.
And, to be honest, I question all of it. I'm never sure if it's due to the fact that they bruise easily, or what their pain tolerance is, or what makes them mark up the way they do. I personally don't mark up terribly easily on most of my person, unless you're using enough force to actually hurt me, which makes things convenient, and helps me not look like I'm in a constant state of fending off attempted murder.
So, I looked it all up. I researched what makes some people bruise more easily than others, and why certain body parts are likely to bruise with little effort compared to others.
You know, for SCIENCE!
Because I would never use this information to my own advantage.
Now, what a bruise is exactly, is damaged capillary vessels under the skin, which leak blood, as well as trauma to the tissue underneath. the blood is what gives the bruise its dark color in the beginning, and as the blood moves and dissipates back into the body, the damaged tissue provides the yellowish tone as it finishes healing. While it's bright red, and raised, it is actually more blood being called to the area to help clot it off and keep the blood from flowing, which would make a larger bruise.
First off, Everything I read stated that women bruise more easily than men. I've got a few ideas as to why this is, and they'll be included in what I've found.
One of the biggest things that contributes to someone's ability to bruise, is the thickness of their blood vessels. Thicker vessels can take more of a pounding, because they're harder to damage enough to perforate. Unfortunately, this is a hereditary trait, and nothing can be done to help with this.
Your blood's ability to clot also helps prevent bruising. Hemophiliacs, and those on blood thinners will bruise more easily than those who have blood that clots quickly, because less blood will escape the vessels when they are damaged.
Good circulation also helps fight bruising. Poor circulation, like that of a diabetic, makes clotting slow down because less blood cells can make it to the damage in the vessel to clot it up. The poor circulation also keeps the blood that has made it out of the vessel to stay around longer, because there is less movement in tissue around it to force it all to spread around and disperse.
Deficiency in vitamins B12, C, and K also cause bruising to occur with less force necessary, so diet can make someone mark up differently.
Now, for more noticeable things.
Thinner people are more prone to bruising. They don't have the fatty tissue to protect the vessels, and lessen a blow. This is why everyone winds up with a bruise when they knock their shin on something, or why my chest seems to bruise faster than any other part of my person.
Obese people also bruise easily, because the fatty tissue is likely to stretch the skin more, making it more easily damaged, as it is already under some stress. This is why we often see pictures up of women with large breasts, bruised to a deep purple, because not only is it an area with a lot of blood vessels (the closer to the chest, the more vessels there are) but the skin is stretched due to the amount of fatty tissue in each breast. There's also the fact that most overweight people tend to be more sedentary, which leads to poor circulation, but I'll leave that out of it.
So, I'm going to guess that women tend to bruise more easily because so many strive to be as thin as possible that they don't have enough fatty tissue to actually protect themselves. As well, breasts, bum, and hips tend to carry the most fat, and sets the strain which makes the skin more easily damaged. Men tend to have a more uniform amount of fat or muscle all around, which makes them more difficult to mark up. They also are more likely to have a high activity job, which promotes good circulation. This is all a guess on my research though, but it makes enough sense to me.
One thing that I wasn't surprised about, was that skin tone has nothing to do with it. Those with a pasty white complexion don't bruise more easily, but more noticeably. It is simply easier to see a change in tone due to the trauma, as compared to someone with darker skin. The darker the skin, the more difficult it is to see a change in shade from the blood under the skin tissue.
Well, now that I know all of this, I kind of want to play with the knowledge I've gained a bit.
Comments
Post a Comment