Welcome to Mayo Connect, @kateross. You have my empathy with the bruising on your arms and hands. No matter how much you try to avoid even the slightest injury, it doesn’t take much more than a little bump when we’re on medications that can lower platelet levels. Also, the weight loss can also impact the underlying tissue. At least it did for me. I lost 50+ pounds with another form of leukemia while going through treatment. Managed to gain back a little. But the ‘fat’ under my skin was gone and I think that contributed to the fragility of my skin at that time, too.

I’m not sure if the topical creams will be of benefit? Sometimes if you ice a newly bumped area it can help keep the blood from spreading into a larger bruise. Also, it may be a good idea to check with your hematologist or pharmacist to see if the creams contain anything which may interfere with the meds you’re taking. I had to avoid certain products because of the absorption into the skin.

Since you’re new to the forum, you may want to check out some of the CML discussions. Here is one that you may be interested in reading through.
~I've had CML for 20 years and want to encourage others
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/chronic-myelogenous-leukemia-cml/
Here is a link to the search results: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/

The positive news is that the Gleevec is working well to control the CML! Have you discussed the excess bruising with your hematologist? Is your platelet level in the low range?