How to Get Rid of Bruises
Share
- Treat it as soon as possible!
- Elevate it.
- Cool it down.
- Rub it out.
- Expose it to sunlight.
- Use vinegar.
- Use Arnica ointment.
- Go old-school, use a leech!
How to Get Rid of Bruises
Knowing how to get rid of bruises, be them black eyes or simply just other ugly skin discolorations, can spare you having to recite a slightly uncomfortable explanation whilst making you more presentable for work or school. Here are some tips on how to mitigate the visual effect of the blood vessels having burst near the surface of your skin.
Steps
1- Treat it as soon as possible! As soon as you think that you may have received an injury that may bruise, treat it as soon as possible to minimise the effect.
2- Elevate it. In order to minimise the amount of blood entering the swelling, elevate the affected area.
3- Cool it down. Ice will reduce the swelling so treat it with an ice pack as soon as you possibly can.
4- Rub it out. Just as you might see a boxer have his swellings ‘rubbed out’ when he’s sitting in his corner in-between rounds, rubbing a bruise away from the centre is actually the most effective way to mitigate the effects of a bruise. Better still, rub away with a smooth ice pack or cube of ice. Be careful here as repeatedly rubbing the same area with something rough will damage the skin. Either use an ice cube or Vaseline the area or similar to reduce friction. Rubbing out the swelling will work at any stage of the bruising (although it may hurt a little!), but the earlier you can start rubbing it out the better.
5- Expose it to sunlight. UV rays break down bilirubin (the yellowish colour of a bruise produced by hemoglobin breakdown). But don’t make the situation worse by getting sun burnt!
6- Use vinegar. Vinegar rubbed into the affected area will encourage blood flow and hopefully remove blood trapped in the swelling.
7- Use Arnica ointment. Arnica contains a compound that reduces swelling and inflammation. Rub it into the bruise once or twice a day.
8- Go old-school, use a leech! Leeches are incredibly effective at removing still aggregations of blood. I’d recommend using a sterile farmed leech rather than one that you’ve found in a pond!
Tips
For pain relief and a helping hand with reducing the swelling, try ibuprofen.
If there is great pressure around a large bruise, call the emergency services as you may be experiencing compartment syndrome- a significant decrease in oxygen supply to the damaged area that could be life-threatening.
