Bruises often look worse than they feel. A bruise, also called a contusion or hematoma, results when you bump into something hard enough to crush the blood vessels underneath the skin without breaking the skin.

The average bruise lasts 10 to 14 days, reports KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation. If you've ever bumped your shin on a table or taken a hard hit when playing a sport, then you've likely seen the mark on your leg slowly turn from bright red to black-and-blue over the course of a few hours.

Facial bruising is a common occurrence in small children, whose foreheads often connect with countertops or tables at face height. Toddlers often "take it on the chin"

Bruises occur when blood vessels near the skin’s surface are broken. Blood leaks out of the blood vessels and appears as a red, purple or black mark. The body eventually reabsorbs the blood, and the bruise disappears. Bruises can be caused by a blow or an injury.

A bruise, which is also called a contusion, occurs when the blood vessels leak blood. This usually happens due to an injury that causes the blood vessels to break. As blood enters the tissues, a bruise forms. Over time the area heals, the body reabsorbs the blood and the bruise disappears.