Soft tissue injuries of the face and scalp are common. Abrasions
(scrapes) of the skin cause no serious problems. Contusions (injury
without a break in the skin) usually cause swelling. A contusion
of the scalp looks and feels like a lump. Laceration (cut) and
avulsion (torn away tissue) injuries are also common. Avulsions
are frequently caused when a sharp blow separates the scalp from
the skull beneath it. Because the face and scalp are richly supplied
with blood vessels (arteries and veins), wounds of these areas
usually bleed heavily.
