Bateman's Purpura Bruising Bruise

Bateman's Purpura

I. Definition: Bateman's Purpura

Bateman’s purpura refers to flat, irregular, purple lesions that appear on your skin as you get older. These lesions usually occur on the back of the hands and the forearms. The skin appears thin and wrinkly, almost flimsy looking. They are common, but not dangerous.

II. Cause:

Mostly seen on sun-damaged skin of people over fifty.
Bateman’s purpura is due to the weakened state of blood vessel walls. Over many years, sunlight damages the skin and underlying blood vessels, making the walls very fragile. With slight trauma (brushing against something) the walls break and the blood leaks into the surrounding skin.
Alcohol, aspirin, and prednisone can contribute to the formation of Bateman’s purpura. Alcohol and aspirin thin the blood, therefore making it easier to leak into the skin. Prednisone causes the blood vessel walls to become very fragile.

III. Treatment:

Cosmetics can be used to camouflage the lesions. Dermablend cosmetics are recommended for dermatologic conditions, such as Bateman’s purpura. Dermablend can be bought at Department stores. Covermark Cosmetics are also excellent at covering this condition.
Vitamin K cream applied to the skin daily has been shown to improve this condition.
Daily application of alpha hydroxyacid lotions to the skin have been shown to increase skin thickness up to 15% in patients with sun damaged thin skin. This occurs through the stimulation of collagen production, the skins natural support protein.

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