How to Get Rid of a Bruise Quickly

by Jennifer Eblin

At your son’s baseball game you got hit with a fly ball, or maybe you accidentally caught an elbow to the face in that hot sale downtown. Regardless of the reason or how it happened, you now have an unsightly bruise on your body that you want to get rid of quickly. You might not think it’s possible, but it’s actually fairly easy to get rid of that bruise fast. The first step is to apply a cold compress as quickly as possible.

Items you will need

  • Ice pack, frozen vegetables or frozen steak
  • Topical cream
  • Chocolate bar
  • Bandage or gauze
  • Arnica gel
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Water
Step 1

Apply an ice pack as soon as you see any signs of bruising. You can use a bag of frozen vegetables, if you want something that will mold around the bruise, or a piece of frozen steak, which can help reduce the swelling in the bruise.

Step 2

Rub an over-the-counter healing cream on the bruise, especially one that contains vitamin A and vitamin K. Those vitamins have been shown to increase healing and can help make that bruise go away more quickly.

Step 3

Melt a bar of chocolate in the microwave and rub it on your bruise. Then wrap the entire area in a bandage or cover it with a piece of gauze before you go to sleep. The next morning remove the bandage, and when you wipe off the chocolate you should see a noticeable difference.

Step 4

Use arnica gel directly on the affected area. Amica is a plant that is grown around the world and has been shown to speed up the healing process. You can find this gel in most drugstores.

Step 5

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, trying to fit in as many different colors as possible such as yellow peppers, green spinach and red tomatoes, and also drink a lot of water. This can help clear out your body of any toxins, which can speed up the healing process.

Tips

  • Not only does a cold ice pack reduce the appearance of a bruise, but it can also help reduce the pain you feel.

    If you really want to hide a bruise quickly, try using professional make-up. This make-up can completely hide your bruise until you get through the healing process. A variety of brands of body make-up particularly for this purpose are available.

Warnings

  • Don’t use an ace bandage to wrap the bruise because this can actually slow down the healing process and make your bruise last longer than it would otherwise.

Photo Credits

About the Author

Jennifer Eblin has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006. Her work has appeared on several websites, including Tool Box Tales and Zonder. Eblin received a master's degree in historic preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design.