I have a question to the people of color here. What does the skin look like when you have a bruise.
The reason I ask is that I had lunch with my daughter at school. She is 10 and she invited a friend to join us. Very sweet girl. Anyways, I noticed the coloring on her eyelid and around her eye/eyebrow area was darker.
Her skin color is a dark brown and this coloring was even darker. Is this a bruise or just differentiation in her coloring?
I found myself really concerned.

Your help in understanding is very much appreciated.

katamasmom

Was it just one eye?

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I had to stop and think for a minute. My SO is African American and yes he does have variances in his facial skin color. BUT his bruises are much darker than his normal skin tone. The picture on my computer background (I know you can't see it) but his eyes are drker than the rest of his face.

The young lady could have natural coloring that way or if it is one eye I would ask questions just to be sure.

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Yes, jsut one eye. It is on the lid a little under her eye and on the outside then on top of the brow.

I never gave it any thought what a bruise would look like. And this is an 11 year old and I keep hearing so many horror stories that I foudn myself worried about her but of course I do not want to stir anything unnecessarily.

katamasmom

it would never hurt to call in as an anonymous caller to CPS. my child abuse teacher said that any call is better than no call. Imagine how many people disregard things they were afraid to report.

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-Kristi

I disagree with your statements. It could hurt. It very well could. Imagine how people get awful things started they aren't afraid to report. Imagine how cps time could be spent on factual situations.

The op is simply asking for insight and mentioned nothing along of the lines of reporting. If she is, then she should expand on the post.

dl

OP, how about you invite the little girl over? Or ask the teacher (that sees the child every day)? Or even ask your DD....

My youngest has a freckle inside his ear---everytime I just glance at it, I think OMG! Look at the dirt in his ears--I have got to clean them out! I can only imagine that someone who only sees him once thinks the same thing---that my kid has dirty ears!

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Can you just ask her if she hurt her eye?
I once had a girl in class who had a birth mark under her lower lip. She always looked like she just sucked on her lip really hard. I asked her about it and she told me in a matter-of-fact-way.

our daughter has a darker than her normal color birthmark on the underside of her arm. I will never forget when she was around 2, a close friend of ours was babysitting her and we went to get her and this poor lady was trying her best to wash the dirt off of her arm and couldnt get it all off. our daughter and her daugher had been playing ourside and she was cleaning them up before we got there. we still laugh about it and our daughter is 22 and still has this birthmark on her arm

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I'd ask the teacher rather than the little girl. If it's just a discoloration, no need to make the little girl self-conscious about her natual look, kwim?

I have worked as a daycare teacher and have seen a number of children with darker skin who appear to have bruises. Some are bruises, some are actually birthmarks - the birthmark looks just like a purple bruise. It's very hard to tell sometimes.
Also, if it is a bruise, maybe it is just that - a simple bruise. I have children and between them and their friends, I see bruises and bumps all of the time - from riding bikes and scooters to playing soccer or swinging on the swingset - injuries happen. Maybe this girl got bumped or accidentally elbowed on the playground. It's wonderful to care and be concerned, but exercise caution before calling anyone to make reports - how would you feel if you were reported for an innocent/accidental injury?!

I was not interested in rushing into anything. I wanted to try and find some clear understanding before asking or saying anything to anyone. No I do not feel it appropriate to ask my 10 yo DD about the bruise looking mark on her friends eye. Nor do I think it so to ask the girl herself. The teacher is probably the best bet here.

kat