President Donald Trump left the public puzzled on Tuesday when he appeared at a White House press gaggle with what looked like makeup covering a patch on the back of his hand.
The makeup appeared to be concealing a raised circular area of skin that Trump’s team may have been eager to hide. While they did not treat or examine him, medical experts reviewed video footage and shared their insights with DailyMail.com.
Dr Boback Berookhim, a New York-based urologist and men’s sexual health specialist, told DailyMail.com: ‘More likely than not he has some bruising on his hand and they are trying to hide it.
‘It could be from a blood draw, an insect bite or potential from hitting his hand against something.’
That small raised bump after a blood draw is a minor histamine reaction to the needle’s micro-trauma, a response that typically fades within hours but can lead to more dramatic bruising in older adults due to naturally thinner, stiffer blood vessels.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told DailyMail.com: ‘President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history.
‘His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day.’
Dr Neal Patel, a primary care physician in Orange County, California DailyMail.com: ‘Shaking too many hands is a little bit a stretch. President Trump has had something like this in the past, and from my experience and my patients, I would put that lower on the list of possibilities.’
The makeup appeared to be covering a circular protrusion of skin that doctors told DailyMail.com was most likely the after-effect of a routine blood draw
President Trump has appeared with similar bumps and bruises on his hand almost monthly since taking office in January. His hands appeared to have makeup covering one of these bruises last month as well.
New York City-based internist Dr. Stuart Fischer previously noted that skin fragility is especially relevant for Trump, who at 79 is the second-oldest commander-in-chief in US history.
At that age, skin becomes more vulnerable to the deep purple blotches that often appear after minor bumps or routine medical procedures.
Dr Patel added that bruising after a simple blood draw would be entirely expected in someone of Trump’s age.
Bruising is far more common among seniors. Dr Patel said some of his patients can hardly brush a water bottle against their skin without developing a mark.
Aging skin loses protective fat and collagen, making blood vessels more exposed to even slight pressure.
Force compresses these fragile capillaries against bones, causing them to leak blood just beneath the surface. For someone with thinning skin or vascular fragility, even routine contact can result in the telltale purple splotches.
Dr Berookhim noted, ‘It could be a simple routine physical. Perhaps he is on medications that need monitoring. Maybe he was having some complaint, and they wanted to look further.’
Dr Patel added that the location of the injection, on the back of the hand rather than in the crook of the elbow, could be explained by that alone.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told DailyMail.com: ‘President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history
‘If he’s a hard stick – so it’s hard to get blood from a vein in his arm – the hand is a great option,’ he said.
‘If his veins are dehydrated we’d also consider doing it on the hand. The veins get flattened in a sense, and it’s harder to get the vein.’
Trump proclaimed he ‘did well’ in his April physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he underwent extensive testing, including a cognitive assessment.
The exam, conducted by Trump’s new physician Dr Sean Barbabella, lasted nearly five hours.
Trump has a history of optimistic health reports, including a purported perfect score on a cognitive test in 2018.
Still, questions linger about his weight (244 pounds at his last physical) and occasional visible bruises on his hand, which aides have repeatedly attributed to vigorous handshaking.
