Why do some women bruise more than others, especially as compared to most men?

Have you ever wondered why some women bruise very easily?  This might be caused by a bump against some furniture that leaves a large purple bruise the next day.  Many of the bruises may be from impascts that are so innocuous that they can not be recalled.  When questioned, the woman may reply along the lines of "Its just the way I am?"

My response is that "It does not need to be this way".

Easy bruising is caused by weak collagen.  Rather than being bouncy and elastic like quality lycra fabric, the tissue rips like rotten cloth when stretched, compressed or stretched.  This is not healthy.  Weak collagen means being vulnerable to bruising, muscle, tendon, joint and ligament strains.  Weak collagen also means being vulnerable to infections because the weak cell wall is easily penetrated by pathogens.  Weak collagen leads to stretch marks which are sub-dermal rips of the skin.

Example of oestrogen dominant Hair Tissue
Analysis profile.

Let me explain why women tend to bruise more easily than men.  The reason has to do with the two female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.  If a woman is oestrogen dominant she will (on the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) have soaring levels of copper in the body (copper is the catalyst mineral that the body uses to produce oestrogen).  Copper suppresses zinc in the body (zinc is the catalyst for producing progesterone).

Symptoms of oestrogen dominance (high copper relative to zinc) include premenstrual syndrome (PMS), painful, heavy periods, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, under-active thyroid, depression, eating disorders, bruising, tendon and ligament problems, including scoliosis and even thinning bones.  A person with high copper relative to zinc will tend to suffer frequent sore throats and all kinds of yeast and fungal infections such as candida.

The effect of copper on the balance of the female hormones tricks the ovaries into thinking she is pregnant.  This is how copper works when placed inside a "copper IUD".  A copper bracelet can be equally effective.

Copper and zinc have a number of interesting actions in the body as trace minerals, including regulating the cross-linking of collagen.  Collagen gives structure and strength to the body and is found concentrated in hair, skin, nails, tendons and ligaments.  If there is an imbalance between copper and zinc, strong cross-linking may not happen, leading to tissues that rip, rather than stretch, or tissues that stretch without returning to their original length and shape.  A good analogy is that of a perished rubber band which progressively stretches and cracks, eventually snapping.

If a girl has excessive copper during puberty, she may develop excessively elastic ligaments leading to "double-jointedness".  This ligament laxity is essential during childbirth but not at other times.  Lax ligaments during puberty may lead to a debilitating deformation of the spine, call scoliosis.  Calorie restriction during puberty may accentuate copper retention, as can a severe viral infection, the most common being glandular fever.

Interestingly, copper is an antagonist of vitamin C and many of the symptoms of copper excess (bruising, bleeding gums, viral infections) are symptoms of scurvy (vitamin C deficiency).

If there is excess copper (This is determined by a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis which you can arrange through me) this may be corrected by a number of measures, such as taking additional vitamin C, magnesium and zinc along with measures to support liver and thyroid function.  Steadily plugging away at balancing nutrient levels within the body over one to two years usually brings about a gradual reduction in symptoms of excess copper, including a reduction of bruising.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

A case of massive bruising on the thighs after a deep tissue massage

I gave "XXXX" (who I've been training and put on a health kick) a massage yesterday. She hasn't had a deep tissue massage before so obviously I didn't go too hard out on her. but she came out with MASSIVE bruises on her thighs where I was doing some deep work.

It looks pretty brutal like shes been beaten but I wasn't massaging very hard at all so think that this is quite strange as I have never given someone bruises like that before...any ideas why this would be? I feel kinda bad, like I've done something wrong, even though I don't think I have.
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Gary:
The bruising you describe is common among women.  Often they may bruise merely from gently bumping against a piece of furniture.  Men, on the other hand, tend to bruise much less.  It is to do with estrogen and all to do with vitamin C and copper (Cu).

A lack of vitamin C and a deficiency of Cu have similar effects on the body.  A copper deficiency mimics scurvy, causes bleeding gums and bruising.  Vitamin C requirements increase when an overabundance of Cu builds up in the body.  This increased demand can for vitamin C can also lead to signs of scurvy.

Because vtiamin C is antagonistic to Cu, it should not be taken in large doses until Cu levels have been evaluated (Via a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis).

Incidentally, vitamin C can be helpful to combat viral infections; but it should be noted that a Cu deficient person can increase in susceptibility of bacterial infections by ingesting too much vitamin C!

Estrogen is closely associated with Cu: when the level of one rises, so does the other.  Many women taking oral contraceptives and some intrauterine devices have high Cu.  Hence the much greater tendency to bruise.

Before massaging a woman, it pays to have a look at your client's arms and thighs for tell-tale signs of bruising.  If there is bruising, ask them if they bruise easily and question them about their diet, supplements and medication, especially contraceptives.  You are looking for lack of, or excess intake of vitamin C and/or sources of excess copper accumulation such as an estrogen-based contraceptive.  Causes may be a Cu intrauterine contraceptive or even a Cu bracelet.

If there are signs of a nutrient imbalance, there is a good case for doing a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and prescribing some supplements along with dietary modifications.  Changing to a different contraceptive may be discussed with her doctor.

Massaging, in these cases, needs to be quite gentle to start with and gradually done firmer from session to session, while taking care to keep visible bruising to the minimum.

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About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please shop at my Online Store. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!

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Do you have a question?  Email Gary: gary@myotec.co.nz. Include any relevant background information to your question.  Please be patient and be aware that I may not be able to answer every inquiry in detail, depending on workloads (My paying clients take precedence!). I will either reply by email or, most likely, by way of an article (Personal identifying details will be removed before publication).