Easy bruising and bleeding into the skin of the hands and forearms occurs in many middle-aged and older people, especially if their skin is fair.This easy bleeding, which can occur without any apparent injury, is a result of the skin being made thin and fragile by years of sunlight exposure. It is not the result of a blood disorder or internal disease. The fact that bleeding occurs only on the sun-damaged areas of the hands and forearms, and never on the covered parts of the body, clearly, shows that it results from local skin damage. Sun exposure over the years, even without sunburning, thins the skin and damages its supporting fibers. These sun-damaged fibers can no longer adequately support the skin and its blood vessels. This releases blood into the skin and leaves purplish marks. Sometimes medicines, such as aspirin, corticosteroids, and blood thinners, may make this worse.
Fragile skin bleeding is a harmless nuisance. The skin damage produced by sunlight is permanent and, for that reason, there is no treatment for this condition. You can prevent further sun damage by using sun-protective measures, such as sunscreen, hat, and protective clothing.