DEAR DR. GOTT: I enjoy your column. I’m a 68-year-old female in good health but recently developed unsightly red bruise marks on my arms and legs. These seem to occur without my even knowing that I have hit something. Sometimes the skin breaks, and it is hard to stop the bleeding. My dermatologist says the bruises are due to lost skin elasticity.
I grew up in an era when sunscreen was unknown. Do you know of anything that would help? The only thing the dermatologist recommended was to moisturize.
DEAR READER: You share a common problem with many other people. As we age, our skin becomes thinner and loses some of the fat that cushions our blood vessels against injury. [Read more...]