Easy bruising can be a sign of a bleeding disorder if bruising begins to worsen after minor injuries to the skin, especially if swelling becomes worse than usual. Other signs of a bleeding disorder include prolonged bleeding after cuts to the skin, excessive bleeding of the gums, frequent nosebleeds, and blood in the urine.

Easy bruising is caused by two general mechanisms: the small blood vessels become weak or the blood does not clot normally. Women tend to bruise more easily than men because of the female hormone, estrogen. Estrogen can weaken small blood vessels, which leads to bruising after a minor injury. Blood vessels tend to weaken with age.

Other causes of weak blood vessels include:

• Medications that cause easy bruising
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis

Conditions that prevent the blood from clotting normally include:

• Anemia
• Blood thinners
• Cancer
• Hemophilia
• Kidney disease
• Leukemia
• Liver disease
• Bleeding from anticoagulant