This might sound strange

I have been getting into 'play fights' with my girlfriend, and recently have been enjoying her punching me in the face. She is careful to only land punches on the soft-tissues of the cheeks. However, she punches quite hard with bare knuckles, and it can take a 24 hours for the swelling to go down. My face is fine after that. We only play fight once every few weeks or so. My one concern is - am I risking permanent damage to the skin/flesh of my face as a result?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Although there is no immediate dangerous effect but it can  land you in trouble. It can cause hematoma formation because of blood trapped in tissues. This blood may need to be drained. Less commonly, it may develop calcium deposits at the injury site in a process called heterotopic ossification. This is more serious.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.