For the most part, there are straightforward solutions. It is unrealistic to rush to the pharmacy or the doctor for every bruise. The best thing you can do is look after them at home. But, before we get into the best home treatments for bruise removal, let’s talk about what bruises are. Keep reading!

What Is A Bruise?

Being the largest organ system in the body, the skin’s primary function is protection. Often, it gets caught in the middle and experiences cuts, bumps, and blows. ‘Bruise’ is the term used to identify the effect of any traumatic incident on the skin. It is a common type of injury in which discoloration of the skin occurs. This discoloration is because the blood vessels beneath the skin burst and leak blood into the surrounding tissue. This blood collects near the surface of the skin, resulting in a black/blue mark (1).

Home Remedies For Bruises

The home remedies for bruises in this article are effective in treating subcutaneous bruises that affect the superficial layers of the skin. Hematoma and inflammation are the two most common forms of subcutaneous bruising. Hematoma refers to the discoloration of the skin, wherein the capillaries in the underlying layers are injured, and the skin turns a range of colors from blue to red, yellow, and purple. Inflammation refers to swelling, which may or may not accompany a bruise (2). Some of the remedies that can be used for subcutaneous bruising are listed below.

How To Get Rid Of Bruises Overnight

1. Ice Or Heat

a. Treat Bruise With Ice

You Will Need Ice pack or ice compress What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this for two to three days. How This Works If the skin is inflamed after injury, an ice pack can help reduce the swelling. An ice pack can also be made by wrapping an ice cube in a piece of soft cloth. Applying an ice cube on a bug sting or insect bite also aids healing, reduces irritation, and decreases the inflammation (3).

b. Treat Bruise With Heat

You Will Need

A hot pack Hot water

What You Have To Do You can also use a soft cloth dipped in hot water. Wring out the excess water and keep it over the bruise. When You Need To Do This Do this several times a day. How This Works A warm compress acts on a bruise by inducing blood flow to that area, speeding up the healing process. This can be used on bruises after the inflammation subsides. A warm compress also releases shock and the pain of the injury (4). You can also rub a warm hard boiled egg on the bruise.

2. Essential Oils

You Will Need A few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil What You Have To Do Take one to three drops of the essential oil and gently massage it into the bruise. You can use either one type of essential oil, or mix both of them in equal quantities and then use them. To avoid skin irritation, add the drops to one teaspoon of coconut oil before applying to the skin. When You Need To Do This Do this every few hours. How This Works Lavender oil has soothing effects on the body, along with being an analgesic and having healing properties (5). Tea tree oil sinks into the deeper layers of the skin and speeds up the healing process (6).

3. Vinegar

You Will Need

A few drops of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup of warm water

What You Have To Do

  1. Mix the vinegar in the water, and gently massage this mixture into the bruise. 2. You can also dip a cloth in the solution and apply it to the bruise. When You Need To Do This Repeat this twice a day for five to six days. How This Works Vinegar, when mixed with water, forms an effective solution that increases blood flow and aids the healing process. Applying this mixture on the bruised area allows the blood that has gathered below the skin to circulate and prevents blood spots (7).

4. Epsom Salt

You Will Need

Epsom salt Hot water

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this every few hours. How This Works Epsom salt helps relax the muscle tissue and reduce the swelling. It is easily absorbed into the body, where it reaches the damaged tissue and relieves soreness (8). Caution This method can only be applied if there are no open wounds on or near the wounded region. Otherwise, the salt on the cut will sting pretty badly.

5. Vitamins

a. Vitamin C

You Will Need Vitamin C tablets What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Take one tablet daily for three months. How This Works A diet rich in vitamin C is essential for the body’s recovery. This vitamin facilitates tissue building and recovery (7).

b. Vitamin K

You Will Need Ointment containing vitamin K What You Have To Do Apply the ointment to the bruise in gentle circular motions. When You Need To Do This Do this twice daily. How This Works Creams and ointments containing vitamin K are readily available in the market. They are handy for treating cuts. The properties in vitamin K encourage blood clotting and prevent further blood loss (7).

c. Vitamin D

You Will Need Vitamin D supplements What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Include vitamin D supplements or vitamin D-rich foods in your regular diet. How This Works Vitamin D deficiency is linked to easy bruising. In combination with vitamins C and E, vitamin D promotes tissue healing and regrowth (9).

6. Arnica Oil

You Will Need

Arnica oil Warm compress

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this two to three times a day. How This Works One of the most popular home remedies for minor bruises and cuts is arnica. This herb is known to have many medicinal properties, and should find a place in homes where the members are prone to injuring themselves frequently. Arnica prevents infection, reduces swelling, and, if regularly applied, speeds up the healing process to a great extent (10).

7. Toothpaste

You Will Need

Toothpaste Bandage

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this every night for two to three days. How This Works The toothpaste helps in breaking up the clot and increasing blood flow to the bruised area. You will notice a lighter bruise mark in one night. It also helps to reduce the swelling (11).

8. Witch Hazel

You Will Need

Witch hazel solution or cream Cotton ball

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this two to three times a day. How This Works Witch hazel is a very popular herb when it comes to healing contusions and cuts. Applying the extract of this herb heals wounds and reduces swelling. A bath with witch hazel can also greatly induce healing (12).

9. Crushed Parsley

You Will Need

Parsley leaves Elastic bandage

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This It should be applied at regular intervals until the skin returns to its normal temperature and color. How This Works Parsley reduces inflammation and pain and also helps in getting rid of the bruise coloration (13).

10. Crushed Ginger

You Will Need

A small piece of ginger Soft cloth or gauze and plaster

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat this for a day or two. How This Works Ginger is another herb that works wonders on inflamed skin. Most people who apply this method use cold compress during the day to speed up the healing process (14).

11. Vanilla Extract

You Will Need Concentrated vanilla extract What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat this two to three times a day. How This Works Applying vanilla extract on a bruised area helps to prevent it from turning blue-black. The antioxidants present help in promoting regeneration of cells and thus, in quicker healing of bruises. Vanilla extract also has anti-inflammatory properties (15). Caution Do not apply vanilla extract on burns.

12. Papaya

You Will Need A slice of papaya What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this as soon as possible after the insect has stung. How This Works This fruit contains certain enzymes that are known to neutralize insect venom (16). To treat such bites, you need to first to take out the stinger (if it is lodged in the skin) and then apply the papaya slice.

13. Onion And Garlic

You Will Need

A slice of onion A clove of garlic

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this immediately after you bump into something. You can also reapply the crushed garlic two to three times a day. How This Works Rubbing a slice of onion on a bruised surface is often recommended to prevent blood from accumulating under the skin and also to reduce inflammation (17). Garlic is also applied by many individuals for the same purpose and effect. Additionally, it promotes fresh cell growth (18).

14. Sugar

You Will Need

Sugar syrup Bandage Ice pack

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Change the dressing every few hours. How This Works While most people concerned with healthcare are not huge fans of refined sugar, a little bit of sugar, mixed with a few drops of water, works well on the site of an insect sting. Honey and sugar have antibacterial properties (19, 20).

15. Cabbage Leaves

You Will Need

Cabbage leaves Hot water

What You Have To Do If you are scared of the hot water burning your skin, you can simply remove the main stem from the leaf and gently roll a rolling pin or glass over it. When You Need To Do This Repeat this with a new cabbage leaf two to three times a day. How This Works Cabbage leaves work well in getting rid of bruises on the face. Dipping in hot water releases the natural juices of the leaves. The pressure from the rolling pin also has the same effect. The anti-inflammatory properties of berteroin present in cabbage helps in reducing swelling and healing bruises quickly (21).

16. Fenugreek

You Will Need

Fenugreek seeds Water Cotton or sponge

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat this twice in a day. How This Works The seeds of this medicinal plant have been shown to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. The concoction prepared from them reduces pain and swelling (22).

17. Garden Thyme

You Will Need

15-20 fresh thyme leaves Water

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat the soaking two times a day. How This Works Thyme works effectively in fading away bruises (23). As this home remedy is a bath soak, it is easier for the herb to reach the bruises in difficult to reach places.

18. St. John’s Wort Oil

You Will Need

St. John’s wort oil Bandage

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat this a few times during the day. How This Works This is a tested and tried method to fade away bruises. The oil contains tannins and astringents that aid in the quick healing of the bruised tissue. It can also be applied on cuts and burns (24).

19. Vaseline And Cayenne Pepper

You Will Need

One part cayenne pepper Five parts vaseline

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Do this once every alternate day. How This Works Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin that helps in fading away bruise marks and reduce the pain. It also speeds up the healing process of the damaged tissues (25, 26). Caution If you have a cut in your bruise, do not apply cayenne pepper as it stings badly.

20. Olive Oil And Mullein Flowers

You Will Need

A few mullein flowers One cup virgin olive oil

What You Have To Do When You Need To Do This Repeat this every few hours. How This Works Mullein is a multipurpose medicinal plant that acts as an emollient and astringent and has antibacterial properties. It is extensively used to reduce inflammation due to wounds and bruises (27). Olive oil adds to the mullein flower’s emollient activity and also provides nourishment for the skin cells (28).

What Causes Bruising?

The blood vessels present beneath the skin can burst or leak either because they have become weak or they are damaged. Some of the most common reasons which contribute to bruising are: Another common cause of bruises is ‘thinning’ of the skin, which is a natural process that occurs when individuals age. Serious medical conditions like autoimmune disorders, leukemia, and septicemia can also result in bruising (29).

Symptoms And Signs Of Bruising

a. Discoloration Of Skin: Initially, a bruise appears red in color. Slowly, this transforms into a black and/or blue color. Other colors that have been observed are green, purple, brownish and yellowish (30).b. Swelling: As a result of the damage the skin tissue has undergone, swelling can be seen at the bruise site.c. Pain: The high impact with which you bumped into something can lead to pain in the area. This can last for a few hours to a few days.d. Tenderness: The damaged tissue becomes highly sensitive to touch and tenderness can be observed.e. Severe Symptoms: These include persistent swelling and pain in the area of bruising or a bruise that doesn’t heal even after four weeks. Please consult a doctor under such circumstances (31). Some medications like blood thinners, as well as medical conditions like diabetes, may render some natural remedies for bruises ineffective. Besides, as bruises tend to heal themselves on a healthy body after a fortnight naturally and the entire home remedies act as catalysts to the healing process, it is important to seek medical and professional help, if pain or discomfort persists after some time. In some cases, prolonged inflammation may indicate internal injury or bruise too easily may indicate some pre-existing medical condition.

Types Of Bruises

A bruise can develop on any part of your body. We can categorize them into the following major groups: A. Bruise On Limbs: These include bruise on the leg, bruise on the thighs, bruise on an arm, bruised heels, bruise on the shin, bruised toes, and bruised finger. B. Bruise On Main Body: Commonly seen as hip bruise, bruises on the breast, bruises on stomach, and bruises on the back.C. Bruises On Face: Bruising around the eyes, bruised nose, bruise on the head, and bruise like spots on the cheeks are some common ones.D. Bruised Bone: Bruises can be internal and on the bones too. Knee bone bruise, ankle bone bruise, and bruised ribs are the most common complaints received by doctors.E. Bruised Internal Organs: When the physical impact is strong, it can form a bruise not only on the skin surface but also internally on the body organs. Some examples are bruised lungs, bruised liver, and bruised abdomen. These types of bruises can be dangerous as there are chances of internal bleeding.

Stages Of Bruising

A fresh bruise is swollen and appears red in color. After a day or two, the red color transforms into a blue/black color. This discoloration is one of the major signs of bruising. Every few days, a change in the bruise color can be seen, and this goes from blue/black to green to yellow, and finally, brown. After this, the bruise markings disappear (32). Additionally, bruises can be scored on a scale of zero to five by of how severe they are and how dangerous the injury is.

How Long Does It Take For A Bruise To Go Away?

On an average, it takes about 10 to 14 days for the bruise mark to go away, and also for the skin to heal completely. However, this time period depends from person to person, and can be shorter or slightly longer.

What Would Happen If You Cut Open A Bruise?

A bruise is a closed wound. Depending upon how intense and deep the wound is, cutting open a bruise can cause bleeding. Additionally, this makes it more prone to acquiring infections either from the instrument you used to cut it with or from the environment. It is highly unadvisable to cut open a bruise.

Does Massaging Help In Quicker Healing Of A Bruise?

Massage therapy helps in relieving pain from the body. In the case of a bruise, gentle massaging for a few minutes using oils or ointments can be beneficial. Please do not apply extreme pressure, as the tissue under your skin is damaged and this might aggravate the pain. Each of the top 20 home remedies for bruises goes a long way in effectively treating inflammation and hematoma. Some of them even take care of minor cuts, stings, and bites. However, sometimes, the effects of an injury may go deeper than the surface inflammation and discoloration of the skin. When pain or swelling persist for too long, it is best to have a doctor take a look at the bruise. Can a bruise leave a permanent mark? Usually, a bruise does not leave a permanent mark. However, repeated bruising in the same area may leave permanent staining on the skin. Do banana peels get rid of bruises? The antioxidant properties and potassium present in banana peels may help get rid of bruises. However, there is not enough research to support this claim.

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