Any suggestions to help with blood bruising on arms?

I’ve had the issue with my forearms for about 5 years. It’s getting steadily worse. It’s now starting on my upper chest. I’m reasonably sure, as is my Derm, that it’s from prednisone. I have Crohn’s Disease, and had some pretty heavy usage of prednisone back in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. It looks just awful. One little bump, and I’m carrying yet another bruise for 2 weeks. I always look like someone went at me with a ball peen hammer.
I swore off prednisone about 5 years ago, but wouldn’t you know it, I came down with Eosinophilic Pneumonia (a lovely little rare and potentially deadly disease). The only treatment - prednisone! It took 6 months for treatment and to wean off. I’m terrified I’m going to get like my Mom. Her skin was so bad that it tore like Kleenex. You couldn’t put a bandaid on it, because the adhesive would tear her skin. She’d been on high dose prednisone for over 3 years to treat Giant Cell Arteritis; and then on abs off for years for various issues. Her forearms were permanently tattooed with purpura.
I was never told what “thinning skin” meant. I’d had all the other side effects - emotional lability, appetite out of control, moon face, “widows hump”. My docs just shrugged and said they were expected side effects. I was never told about any of them, really. I did my research and was horrified.
Now, so many years later, I’m searching for something that will help this. The medical community has been useless!

Side note on my first post - Things I have tried to not look quite so awful.
1. Arnica tea bags. I wet them and put them on a new bruise. I also have a cup of arnica tea in the morning. So far - no difference.
2. I keep my skin especially well hydrated. Currently using aquaphor and cetaphil.
3. I also coat the bruised areas with arnica cream. I think that’s pretty much in vain.
4. I take mountains of supplements. I can only take think that if they are indeed helping, god forbid what my skin would look like without them!
5. I stay out of the sun - strictly! I just had my 8th squamous cell skin cancer removed. I was of the era of coating yourself in baby oil, and laying out for hours on aluminum
foil. Ah, Youth!😵‍💫🙄
6. I just saw a brief blurb on Hyalurnic Acid for bruising. I’m giving it a shot. It’s only money, after all….

Thank you. Pain, both physical and mental, is the price we pay for living life to the fullest.

Info from AI: Purpura is caused by small blood vessels leaking blood under the skin, a symptom of underlying conditions like platelet disorders, weak blood vessels, blood clotting disorders, and inflammation. Other causes include infections (like meningitis or HIV), certain medications, vitamin deficiencies (such as scurvy), autoimmune diseases (like Lupus), and aging. Treatment depends on the cause, which can range from minor injuries to serious underlying conditions, so it's essential to consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis.

There are certainly worse things in life to deal with than bruises. I get them all the time and really dislike them. I use arnica gel on them - helps a little bit. I'll try the ones mentioned above.

Let us know how Hyalurnic acid works.

I think I have some help for you. I suffer the same "easy bruising" as they call it due to my extended time in the south pacific as a young man. For approx 8 years I have suffered the issue of a bruise appearing when I do so much as bump it against the door knob or flick my finger across the back of my hand. For me the issue seems to be limited to hands and forearms. So this would only address preventing bruising by external source (bumping against table edge etc) It sounds like you already know how difficult it is to deal with looking at them day after day as I am a klutz who bumps into things all the time lol.

Believe it or not, I stumbled across this wonderful method of "bruise prevention" (since in my case prevention is the only remedy) I have searched for years for gloves that would protect my hands without covering my hands (tall task I know) but this seems to work wonderfully.

I laid an acrylic neck scarf that you would use in winter length wise across the back of my hand and up the length of my forearm. Without thinking I placed my other hand over top of this and gently wrapped the scarf around the back of my hand and forearm like a protective glove while still allowing full exposure of fingers, thumb and palm. Since the "glove" is laying on just the top of the back of my hand and not covering the palm in any way my hand and skin and fingers are not restricted in any way.

Breathable material, strong enough to stop the occasional bang or bump without putting pressure on skin and causing bruise, no restriction to hands. I am using a piece of silk cord at the top to slip my fingers into which allows the "glove" to stay in place on the back of my hand and am using one of the many rubber bracelets from my swag bucket to secure it around my forearm. it honestly reminds me of the type of glove a dancer might wear, but this is much thicker and softer. (12"Lx4"W piece of Acrylic winter knitted scarf) with silk rope or spandex across top for fingers and a spandex band or even the "support" bracelet to secure forearm).

I can tell you from the minute I put it on, I KNEW that this would work. It has been 3 days now since I made the first one and I have not taken it off but for bathing. I forget that it is even there, I sleep with it on and it stays in place exactly where it should and while I realize that the "visuals" take some getting used to, but if you are anything like me, the relief that you feel from knowing you can do pretty much anything now without the stupid bruises is worth a million dollars. I made the second one today and can already feel that it is working just as well as the first.

I am sure that I will come up with a much more attractive version that I will be able to wear even in public,
(this version is with tan knitted scarf which makes it look like my hands are covered in ramen noodles) but Prevention is the goal and these work absolutely perfect for me to finally finally have an answer to this issue that has plagued my for 8 years or more.

I hope this helps and and maybe some others. I wish you the best.

@westpac88 Sounds like you have created a prototype!! I am also plagued with hands and forearms as the target for those pesky bruises. Had to chuckle when I read "flick my finger across the back of my hand" ~ same here! Thanks so much for the very clever solution!! My design mind is working overtime this morning!

One of my biggest questions is “Why the hell is this just on my hands and forearms?” I so hate walking around with these purple bruises. My dog enthusiastically pawed at me the other day and I looked like I should have been in ICU! My Mom had a permanent “”tatooing” effect on her forearms from steroid use. Her arms were purple/black from her wrists to above her elbows. She was on a 10 mg daily dose of prednisone for years. Her skin would actually tear like tissue paper. You couldn’t use a bandaid as it would just tear her skin even more. I’m so afraid I’m going to end up with the same issue. Aside from the awful appearance (which really bothered her), it was horrible to deal with: I’m hoping the daily applications of hyaluronic acid will help.

Yeah, it’s really frustrating.

What brand hyaluronic acid are you using? If wearing long sleeves doesn’ seem to limit the bruising if I bump something.