Apply ice immediately after the injury. Apply heat to bruises that have already formed to clear up the trapped blood. Compression, elevation, and a bruise-healing diet can also help speed up the healing process.
Apply a cold compress for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. The quicker you ice, the more you minimize bruising. Avoid massaging the bruise or applying heat because it may make the bruise larger. After 48 hours, a warm compress can be used to help break the bruise apart and to encourage lymphatic drainage.
Consider Color Correcting
Think of the color wheel. For bruises, which normally boast a purple or blue hue, you'll want to use a yellow concealer to neutralize their appearance.
Ice the Bruised Area
To reduce swelling (and speed up healing), apply ice on and off for the first 24 to 48 hours. The proper way to ice is to wrap your ice pack (or frozen peas) in a towel and leave it on the area for ten minutes at a time.
After 2 days, warmth may aid healing.
A heating pad or warm washcloth wrapped in a towel can help some bruises heal. Even a warm bath can soothe sore areas. Warmth brings more blood flow to an area of the body, which can help as the body tries to heal the injury.
Arnica cream or arnica gel can be used to decrease swelling, bleeding, bruising and reduce pain. Arnica creams such as Skintensive Bruise And Scar Cream can be used for topical application to heal bruises effectively.
Vaseline easily removes makeup, protects sensitive skin, and can even be used to help small cuts and bruises heal.
Epsom salt draws toxins from your body to relieve swelling, sprains and bruises. To use, add 2 cups of Epsom salt to your bath and submerge yourself for at least 20 minutes.
Put ice on your bruise right after you get injured. That can reduce the size of your bruise, which may allow it to heal faster. The cold temperature from an ice pack makes the blood in that area flow more slowly. It may reduce the amount of blood that leaks out of your vessels.
A neutralizing concealer can cover up any bruise.
This will cover the bruise completely. First make sure your bruise is free of cuts, nicks, and stitches. Then choose a hypoallergenic concealer with a yellow base; the hue offsets blue discoloration. But if your bruise is red, you'll want to use a green concealer.
Minor bruises often heal in a few days. Some people bruise more easily than others, and the bruising can take longer to heal. Causes include age, medications, and vasculitis.
Most bruises fade away within two weeks without treatment. More severe bruising and hematomas may last a month or longer. These steps can help you heal faster: Rest and elevate the injured area to prevent swelling and relieve pain.
You may want to massage the sore spot when you're resting, but it's a bad idea. That can make the injured spot worse. You may break more blood vessels under the skin and make the bruised area larger.
It can take months for a bruise to fade, but most last about two weeks. They start off a reddish color, and then turn bluish-purple and greenish-yellow before returning to normal. To reduce bruising, ice the injured area and elevate it above your heart.
“There's more blood for your body to clear out, so it takes more time. Bruises last one to three weeks on average, though it's OK if a bruise lasts a little longer. During the healing process, you might notice the bruise changing colors.”
A flat, purple bruise that happens when blood leaks into the top layers of your skin is called an ecchymosis. A black eye, or “shiner,” is an example of this kind of bruise. A hematoma happens when clotted blood forms a lump under your skin. The area is usually swollen, raised, or painful.
Vitamin K Deficiency
Vitamin K may not get as much attention as some other vitamins. But it plays an important role in blood clotting. If you don't get enough vitamin K, you could get more bruises. Still, most healthy adults get enough of this vitamin from foods like leafy green vegetables.
If a bruise is left untreated, blood may continue to enter an injured area. This can cause devastating complications for athletes. Physicians can more easily help you prevent myositis if you seek treatment before bone tissue starts to form.
Once you have iced the bruise for 24 hours, you should start applying heat to the bruised area. This will increase circulation to the affected area and help to break down the pooled blood. An electric heating pad works best and should be used for 20 minutes several times throughout the day.
Here are the colors a typical bruise goes through and what it means: Red. Bruises often begin as a red mark on the skin because fresh, oxygen-rich blood has pooled under the skin. Blue, purple or black. After 1-2 days the blood that has leaked out begins to lose oxygen and change color.
Commonly used for its anti-inflammatory effects, witch hazel also helps to reduce discoloration of bruising and eye swelling.
Aloe Vera
According the the National Library of Medicine (USA), aloe vera is effective at reducing pain and inflammation. This makes it an ideal treatment for bruises. It is advised that aloe vera products used for treating bruises contain pure aloe vera without any additives.
Apply a warm compress: After two or three days, you can apply heat to promote blood circulation in the healthy blood vessels around the bruise. Try to apply it for 15 minutes three times a day. At this time, the hot compress dissolves the bruise faster. However, applying heat too soon can have the opposite effect.