1. < Skin Health

Senile purpura bruises and treatment options

Posted by ellerbracke @ellerbracke, May 24, 2019

I ( and a friend or 2) love gardening. Even with wearing long sleeves while working outside, (today it was about 76 degrees by 8 AM here), I still get poked or scratched. The resulting bleeds and the bruises are way out of proportion to the cause. Anybody have a good suggestion how to cover up some of the bruises on my lower arms (elbow to wrist) so I don’t look so abused when going out in public? Meaning, make-up tricks. Tomorrow it will be around 94 degrees again here, so long sleeves out and about are not what I want to wear going forward.

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mydogsbestfriend | @mydogsbestfriend | Jan 10 3:44pm
In reply to @mydogsbestfriend "I get those also on my hands and especially my left forearm. I am right handed..." + (show)
@mydogsbestfriend

I get those also on my hands and especially my left forearm. I am right handed and don’t know why I get them mostly on the left side. I think it’s because my left arm is more exposed to the sun ( over the years while driving , I am now 76). My doctor says it’s purport and my skin is thinner as I age. He told me not to worry. Haha! I use cream for crepy skin but don’t like to put creams on in warm weather. I’m going to look into the arnica

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My left arm gets them mostly. I agree it’s from years of driving though I don’t hand my arms out the window. I tried creams for crept skin but they didn’t do much. They aren’t for purpura anyway & I don’t like putting creams on in warm weather

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bunnybear | @bunnybear | Jan 11 6:43am

My dermatologist recommended DerMend (OTC). It works for me but my bruises get only about the size of a quarter. Be sure to get the maroon top one and not the blue top one as the latter is just ordinary hand cream I think. At first I had to put it on daily but now only every couple of weeks. But that may be because per my dermatologist, I am also using CeraVe cream which is wonderful and seems to protect fragile skin.

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1 reply
riversong79 | @riversong79 | Jan 21 9:33am
In reply to @lioness "@imallears For your bruises have you ever tried Arnica it's made for bruises and pain. For..." + (show)
@lioness

@imallears For your bruises have you ever tried Arnica it's made for bruises and pain. For my pain I use it mixed with essential oils ,have used it on bruises Right now 8a.m. It's 58degrees .

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While arnica does work on other parts of my body (different type of bruises), it does not work on the senile purpura. I have tried everything with no success. I would wear long sleeves to hide my hideous arms, but I too live in Flordia.

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riversong79 | @riversong79 | Jan 21 9:37am
In reply to @bunnybear "My dermatologist recommended DerMend (OTC). It works for me but my bruises get only about the..." + (show)
@bunnybear

My dermatologist recommended DerMend (OTC). It works for me but my bruises get only about the size of a quarter. Be sure to get the maroon top one and not the blue top one as the latter is just ordinary hand cream I think. At first I had to put it on daily but now only every couple of weeks. But that may be because per my dermatologist, I am also using CeraVe cream which is wonderful and seems to protect fragile skin.

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I looked up DerMend, it is just arnica. I have already tried arnica. By the gallons over several months with no change in appearance. Being skeptical, it just seems to be a more expensive brand of arnica

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bunnybear | @bunnybear | Jan 21 1:01pm

I wish it were just arnica but it appears from the ingredients list that it is a bunch of lab made chemicals with some arnica oil as one of the many, many ingredients. I have some arnica here and will try it to see if it works. All I can tell you right now is that Dermend works quickly and well for me.

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gravity3 | @gravity3 | Feb 6 2:55am

I read somewhere that the supplement alpha lipoic acid is useful but. I wonder if someone can comment on this.

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rosamarie | @rosamarie | Feb 7 4:31pm

Following - I'm 61 year old female. I have autoimmune due to thyroid, graves. Weaning down levothyroxine. I've noticed blood spots if I bump myself. Doctor says our skin gets thinner as we age. But it does look bad!

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seniormed | @seniormed | Feb 7 6:26pm

Anything that might have the effect of “thinning your blood” such as fish oil derivatives, non steroidal and anticoagulants and prednisone or topical cortisone
derivatives on your arms will contribute to the problem.
The fragility is scary when a bump or trauma breaks our skin. I’m convinced plain moisturizer has the maximum
preventive benefit. Long sleeves are my friend.I bump myself more than when is was younger. Be good with sunscreen but our fair skin and genes are to blame.

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michiganjan | @michiganjan | May 6 6:09pm

I was diagnosed with Batemans purpura, (much nicer name than senile purpura). It was after I received one of my Covid vaccinations that it first popped up, but the Doctor didn't seem to believe there was a connection. Who knows. Dermatologist said I could try Dermend but she didn't sound hopeful about that. Tried it for two months $60 worth did nothing to help I am on prednisone for another condition and was interested to read that that could make it worse. Just now ordering gardening sleeves, hoping to limit my purple spots from that. I believe you can tell if it's a form of Purpura by using a glass object to press on the spot if it lightens, it's not purpura, but if it stays there, because the vessels are broken and the blood can't move away it's a form of purpura. I was told the cause of mine was mainly Sun damage.

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1 reply
pb50 | @pb50 | May 6 6:42pm
In reply to @michiganjan "I was diagnosed with Batemans purpura, (much nicer name than senile purpura). It was after I..." + (show)
@michiganjan

I was diagnosed with Batemans purpura, (much nicer name than senile purpura). It was after I received one of my Covid vaccinations that it first popped up, but the Doctor didn't seem to believe there was a connection. Who knows. Dermatologist said I could try Dermend but she didn't sound hopeful about that. Tried it for two months $60 worth did nothing to help I am on prednisone for another condition and was interested to read that that could make it worse. Just now ordering gardening sleeves, hoping to limit my purple spots from that. I believe you can tell if it's a form of Purpura by using a glass object to press on the spot if it lightens, it's not purpura, but if it stays there, because the vessels are broken and the blood can't move away it's a form of purpura. I was told the cause of mine was mainly Sun damage.

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I have the condition. Takes almost nothing to create one. Bur weeks to fade away

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