Red dots on chin in morning

[Nancy T]

Often when I wake up in the morning, I will find one or two small red spots on my chin. They are obviously blood beneath the skin because sometimes it is actually a bit of dried blood.

What are these, and why are they on my chin--and why in the morning??

Thanks for any clues.

Nancy T.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
If you bruise easily, you may not even remember what caused a bruise. Bruising easily does not mean you have a serious health problem, especially if bruising is minimal or only shows up once in a while.
Older adults often bruise easily from minor injuries because the skin becomes less flexible and thinner because there is less fat under the skin. The cushioning effect of the skin decreases as the fat under the skin decreases. These changes, along with skin damage from exposure to the sun, cause blood vessels to break easily. When blood vessels break, bruising occurs.
ref:http://health.yahoo.com/emergency-injury/bruises-and-blood-spots-under-the-skin/healthwise--bruse.html
You need to be concerned only if it increases in number or frequency.

[Nancy T]

Thanks, Dr. Aparna. I should have been more specific--they are not bruises, they are pinpoint-size dots, usually just under the skin but sometimes there is actually a slight crust of dried blood on them, as if the "pinpoint" has burst.

These appear literally overnight and disappear in 1 or 2 days. It started happening a few weeks ago, and I get 1 or 2 of these at a time, but not every day.  They are occurring at night somehow. (not an insect bite either).

I do bruise a bit easily, also I take 1200 mg of Advil daily but I've been doing that for years. 51 yrs old.

Nancy T.