# Why don't I bruise or swell? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392 "2010-08-16T05:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Novalyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@Novalyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novalyne)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/1 "2010-08-16T05:38:06Z")
The most current thread on Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva got me thinking about injuries that cause swelling and bruising. I don’t know how common it is, but I just about never bruise or swell. I’ve had a dislocated finger, broken toe, my nose slammed hard enough to cut open, various knee/ankle sports injuries (once severe enough to cause passing out from pain), and the usual assortment of bangs, sprains, cuts, etc. But I just don’t bruise or swell, which kind of sucks when I’m really in pain and nobody thinks it’s serious because there is no visible injury. ☹ I wondered if it’s because I have a lot of platelets? (That’s according to the blood people - they can usually get what they call a triple donation out of me). In fact, a couple of weeks ago during a platelet donation, the vein blew during a return (burned like the dickens) and I was sent home with cold and hot packs to use for two days and warned about the bruising and swelling to expect. I didn’t use a single pack, but all I got was a tiny, faint yellow spot right at the needle site and that was it. Am I abnormal? ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/2 "2010-08-18T02:30:53Z")
I dont bruise either. In school we’d play that knuckle rapping game where you try to smack the backs of the other guys hands with your knuckles before he could pull away. My hands would go red and thats about it. Very juvenile game. Another thing I’ve noticed is that I dont callus. In several jobs in my youth handling implements such as shovels and rakes, I would sometimes blister, heal and re-blister but mantain soft skin. Today, in my late 30s, my hands are girly soft. Even my feet are dry but much more supple than most peoples. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/3 "2010-08-18T04:07:03Z")
I don’t bruise or swell either. Calluses will form, but then flake away leaving fresh skin. I’ve hit my thumb with a hammer, fracturing the nail, and no apparent bruise. I’ve never had a black eye. Some swelling would have let me know that a knee injury was more serious than it seemed. So to answer your question, yes you are abnormal. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/4 "2010-08-18T16:31:28Z")
Maybe I sholdn’t pose WAGs in GQ, but there are some feasible physiological mechanisms I can think of: a) Bruises are just the results of broken blood vessels releasing blood that pools under the skin. It’s possible that in non-bruising folks, the blood flows away from the skin somehow (maybe flowing “boneward” instead?). b) Another possibility would perhaps be really “stretchy” capillary walls that can take significant trauma without rupturing. c) One more possibility: could it be that your blood clots really fast, so that not enough blood flows from ruptured capillaries to promote visible bruising? **Novalyne** mentioned yellowing at the site of an injection – that was a bruise, if a faint one. … I believe there are other things going on with swelling – it’s not just blood filling up tissues. Someone more medically knowledgable will offer better insight. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/5 "2010-08-18T16:37:36Z")
zombie ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/6 "2010-08-18T16:38:40Z")
Wikipedia’s article on “bruise” gives this information: > [@](#): > > **Mechanism of bruise** > Increased distress to tissue causes capillaries to break under the skin, allowing blood to escape and build up. As time progresses, blood seeps into the surrounding tissues, causing the bruise to darken and spread. Nerve endings within the affected tissue detect the increased pressure, which, depending on severity and location, may be perceived as pain or pressure or be asymptomatic. The damaged endothelium (lining) of the affected capillaries releases endothelin, a hormone that causes narrowing of the blood vessel to minimize bleeding. As the endothelium is destroyed, the underlying von Willebrand factor is exposed and initiates coagulation, which creates a temporary clot to plug the wound and eventually leads to restoration of normal tissue. > > During this time, larger bruises may change color due to the breakdown of hemoglobin from within escaped red blood cells in the extracellular space. **The striking colors of a bruise are caused by the phagocytosis and sequential degradation of hemoglobin to biliverdin to bilirubin to hemosiderin, with hemoglobin itself producing a red-blue color, biliverdin producing a green color, bilirubin producing a yellow color, and hemosiderin producing a golden-brown color. As these products are cleared from the area, the bruise disappears.** Oftentimes the underlying tissue damage has been repaired long before this process is complete. Maybe there’s something “procedurally” different happening with non-bruisers – IOW, you’re still bruising, but degradation of hemoglobin is happening in some different (and presumably more rapid) way than normal to make the bruises much less visible than normal. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/7 "2010-08-18T16:39:00Z")
I don’t want to alarm you (and this may be completely wrong) but I would be rather concerned if I didn’t bruise because it might point to very aggressive clotting that could be an indicator of greater likelihood of myocardial infarction or stroke. It might be worth discussing this with a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/8 "2010-08-18T20:12:31Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > c) One more possibility: could it be that your blood clots really fast, so that not enough blood flows from ruptured capillaries to promote visible bruising? **Novalyne** mentioned yellowing at the site of an injection – that was a bruise, if a faint one. You may be right on that one. I don’t bleed that much, and my blood clots quickly. When I’ve had blood taken, they get out a band-aid but I tell them to keep. Virtually no blood escapes. The last time I had blood taken, the tech was no good, and couldn’t get the vein on repeated attempts. I had her switch to the other arm, but there was no bruising from the unsuccessful stabs. One factor here may be the thickness of my skin. It causes other problems because I am pretty hairy, but it may prevent bruising. I don’t know why I don’t swell either, but edema doesn’t affect only tissue. After an ICL injury went untreated for a long time, x-rays and MRI revealed edema in the bones, causing some bone loss. **qpw3141** I hope to die from a major heart attack, that will be fast, but a stroke doesn’t sound pleasant. Are you making a WAG, or do you have some basis for your comments? ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/9 "2010-08-19T08:08:22Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@bordelond](#): > > > > c) One more possibility: could it be that your blood clots really fast, so that not enough blood flows from ruptured capillaries to promote visible bruising? **Novalyne** mentioned yellowing at the site of an injection – that was a bruise, if a faint one. > > **qpw3141** > > I hope to die from a major heart attack, that will be fast, but a stroke doesn’t sound pleasant. Are you making a WAG, or do you have some basis for your comments? I don’t know what a ‘WAG’ is - Google is not my friend on this. The basis is that people with ‘thicker’ blood are often given blood thinning agents to prevent the risks mentioned. I don’t have any specific knowledge but thought it would be a good idea to mention it to your doctor as you seem to have be unusually resistant to bruising. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/10 "2010-08-19T08:50:09Z")
WAG = Wild Ass Guess ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/11 "2010-08-19T09:35:43Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > WAG = Wild Ass Guess TY. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/12 "2010-08-20T15:58:09Z")
I do not bruise either, always wondered about it. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/13 "2010-08-20T17:56:33Z")
Perhaps you need to be hit harder? You could probably test this. Please post results on Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![PowerCage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@PowerCage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PowerCage)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/14 "2015-08-25T21:36:36Z")
I am the same way. For example, I managed to break my 5th digit (pinky finger) on my right hand playing basketball in gym class. I knew something was wrong because I hadn’t felt pain like that before. ```auto ``` I Went to the school nurse but was sent back to class because my finger showed no signs of swelling. “You’re fine” she said “Go back to class”. Turns out I had a fracture on the bone growth plate requiring corrective surgery. This all happened on my birthday, by the way. Happy 14 years to me, lol. ```auto ``` I’ve also torn my left knee ACL twice, both times with minimal overall swelling. I see it as a good thing in a way, because it results in less overall pain and usually a shorter recovery. ```auto ``` One question for you OP: Are you unusually flexible? I ask because in addition to the minimal bruising/swelling, I have a fairly high degree of body flexibility. During the post surgical physical therapy for my last ACL reconstruction, my PT said that I was “a gumby”. Apparently people with a high degree of flexibility are also less prone to swelling and can usually better recover from an injury. ---
**Author:** ![monkeytine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monkeytine/32/9710_2.png) [@monkeytine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeytine)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/15 "2019-07-01T05:24:22Z")
I know this is really old, but I have never bruised or swelled, even after surgeries. I was just diagnosed with a clotting disorder after having severe DVTs in multiple veins and bilateral pulmonary emboli with lung infarct 3 months ago. So…I do wonder if there is a connection? I also rarely bled much…even razor cuts were quickly stopped without trying. i never had a nose bleed in my life either. Now, I’m on anticoagulants and I have had 2 nose bleeds and got a nasty bruise from an IV. I now now realize even more how weird I was for not ever bruising except for the tiny yellow bruises. Even a full force hockey puck to the shin only left a bump, but no bruise or swelling. Brutal snowboard falls, torn ligaments…nothing to show for it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/16 "2019-07-01T13:55:14Z")
Another non-bruiser here. The only time I had any bruising coloration was when I fell on a ladder and slammed my rib cage on a piece of equipment. Probably cracked a rib, but bruising was minor. I’m in my 70s and still don’t bruise. My ex-wife bruises if you look at her hard. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-i-bruise-or-swell/550392/17 "2019-07-02T02:01:32Z")
When you get an injury in the muscle , the muscle contain the blood and don’t let the blood leak out to the skin. The muscles are bundles of bundles. Its a long way out. Tendons don’t contain blood so they don’t bleed . They do ooze clear liquids, which can form a lump (a form of gideons cyst, which is probably joint fluid, but can be from the tendons fluid) , or swell them up (tendonitis). What sort of tissue has to be injured to result in a bruise ? The so called adipose tissue. Its named after its role in containing fat cells. It also supports the network of blood vessels to service the skin. The adipose tissue doesn’t protect the blood vessels, while muscles do . So the more muscle you have, the more chance that the muscle is protecting the blood vessels from injury, which could mean the muscle is taking the injury, or protecting from injury. You can always get what looks like a bruise from having a needle in a vein. (eg from the taking of blood, which is done with a larger diameter needle.) Swelling is histamines. It may be the blood that causes the histamine response, so as to promote the drainage of the area into the lymph… Bleeding is increased by blood thinners, and by taking aspirin for pain (as its a blood thinner too ),and also seen more in alcoholics.