Tricks for Healing Bruises Faster

[NancyLouise]

Do any of you have special tricks for healing bruises faster? Are there any tricks? I bruise quite easily and I practice combat sports so I can end up with some really nasty looking ones. I google searched a little on the subject but I'm looking for some personal input. Thanks ladies!

 

[retromama]

something to try

NancyLouise: I had a big ugly bruise right before my brother's wedding. I used arnica cream the whole week and it seemed to help. I found mine at gnc and it was fairly inexpensive. It is usually for sore muscles, but I read that it is helpful in fading bruises. Also vitamins, C and K are helpful.

Hope this works for you!

 

[ColeV48]

Tiger Balm. It may smell like Vick's vapor rub, but it's magic on bruises. I know many dancers who use it religiously.

 

[John in Covina]

Just saw the question and wanted to add that for some people bruising easily is a sign of a lack of Vitamin C. (If i recall correctly.)

 

[Ms Sew-n-Sew]

Witch hazel helps to calm bruises

 

[Miss Neecerie]

NancyLouise: I had a big ugly bruise right before my brother's wedding. I used arnica cream the whole week and it seemed to help. I found mine at gnc and it was fairly inexpensive. It is usually for sore muscles, but I read that it is helpful in fading bruises. Also vitamins, C and K are helpful.

Hope this works for you!

Arnica absolutely works for this and you can double up and take it internally too. Not the gel but they have homeopathic tablets.

Really works very well.

 

[Puzzicato]

Hirudoid ointment - reabsorbs bruises really fast.

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

I was just thinking about starting a thread on bruises how weird!
I also completely forgot that I have a huge bottle of witch hazel sitting doing nothing.
I've seen a doctor about my bruises and was told it's common amongst young women...

 

[Grant Fan]

Nancy I bruise like that too I think it is from being fair skinned, or so I think. Anyway I don't know how to make them go away faster , but I do know how to cover them up. I am a special ed teacher and one of my children had to be put into a restrain for 5 hours, the only problem was that the next day I had a wedding to go to, so my legs had been kicked and punch and otherwise abused. I put makeup on them I started with foundation, same as for my skin, moved to my concealer, them more foundations, blended really well, added some powder, then hair sprayed it. Yes I said hair spray. It holds it in place and keeps it from rubbing off on clothes. That hopefully will help you.

 

[KittyT]

I play roller derby and most skaters use arnica (both internally and cream/gel) to help their bruises.

I've also found that taping bruises works pretty well. My discovery of this is based on a method of sports medicine taping called Kinesio taping, which helps aid lyphatic drainage. I've found that using a semi-elastic tape (the only really good one I've found is Nexcare Absolute Waterproof Tape, available at most drugstores), applying it on one side of the bruise, stretching it firmly over the bruise and then attaching it to the other side pulls the skin up and helps speed drainage/reabsorption of the blood. Cover the entire bruise this way.

 

[Gracie Lee]

I've always been told to ice immediately, to help constrict vessels and tissues and reduce the amount of fluids rushing to the area; and then apply warm compresses for 15 minutes several times a day thereafter. The warm compresses boost circulation and help your body flush the area. Not high tech, I know, but certainly not harmful, and can likely be used in conjuntion with any of the other methods suggested.

 

[KittyT]

I've always been told to ice immediately, to help constrict vessels and tissues and reduce the amount of fluids rushing to the area;

Yes! Icing is pretty much the answer to everything - including sore muscles. Most people use heat to ease the pain of sore muscles, but it doesn't actually help them heal. Ice, on the other hand....

P.S. Gracie, your avatar is $*@!ing incredible. I <3

 

[NancyLouise]

KittyT - thanks for that link on Kinesio taping - techniques like that are very interesting to me!
Puzzicato - that hirudoid ointment definitely sounds like it'd work for an occasional bad bruise but I get a LOT of bruising and I worry that something like that (more of an actual medicine for blood thinning) would cause side effects I don't want.
Retromama - I had some arnica in my medicine cabinet (topical) and so I'm trying it out.
ColeV48 - I guess I should've assumed Tiger Balm because it helps with everything else

As for ice, I think I'd have to get into a walk-in freezer to get that much coverage. Haha...


Thanks everyone for your recommendations and if anyone else has something out of left field; I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Miss Scarlet]

I've been watching Victorian Pharmacy lately and they used to grind up garden worms to put on bruises...didn't work apparently.

 

[NancyLouise]

I can't see why not...

Also, now I'm checking to see if I can watch that online. I love documentaries and it sounds really interesting.

 

[Sincerely-Dee]

I can't see why not...

Also, now I'm checking to see if I can watch that online. I love documentaries and it sounds really interesting.

Aaah I watched this. Being deathly afraid of/creeped out by worms I would have just had to put up with the bruise...



(Just realised this is my 100th post yay!)

 

[NancyLouise]

Unfortunately I can't seem to find it available online for U.S. viewing :\

 

[40'sfetish]

I'll put another vote in for Arnica, both the cream and the homeopathic pills. I do pole dancing for sport and fitness (and it's a huge amount of fun). But the bruising you get is insane, I've found Arnica to get the best results.

 

[baby_butterfly]

yayyy for this thread!! i have a HUGE bruise about the size of a five pound note down the front of my leg. It looks hideous! Thanks for the tips everyone.