Most people have experienced a nasty bruise at one time or other after bumping into a piece of furniture or falling. Bruising can be very obvious as the bruised area changes color during the healing process, and most people want to hide them as much as possible. Bruises can take on a rainbow of colors as they heal including shades of red, purple, blue and black, and they can be difficult to cover up with cosmetics. Older people are especially prone to bruising because their blood vessels are more fragile than a younger person’s.
What Causes It?
Bruises occur as a result of blunt trauma, after bumping into something or being hit. The force of the blow causes superficial blood vessels to tear and blood to leak out into the surrounding tissues. This causes the skin to become discolored. Bruises may be particularly noticeable on people with light skin. It can be particularly distressing to have a bruise on the face where it’s easily visible and difficult to cover up.
Unfortunately, bruises take time to heal. During the healing process, they change colors, which make them even more obvious. Larger bruises can last as long as 2 weeks. It helps to apply cold compresses to a bruised area on the first day or two after an injury to reduce the swelling, but that’s unlikely to make the bruise go away any quicker.
Treatment of Bruises
Topical vitamin K may help to speed up bruise healing. Vitamin K is important for blood clotting, and it helps to strengthen blood vessel walls. Getting adequate amounts of vitamin K through diet is important for the prevention of bruising, but topical vitamin K may help to heal bruising even after it occurs.
Plastic surgeons sometimes give their patients’ vitamin K cream after a surgical procedure to speed up the healing of bruises. Does it work? According to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, vitamin K cream reduced bruising after laser treatment in a group of 22 patients. Although this was a small study, it was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the highest quality research study.
Another remedy for bruising that has science behind it is arnica. Arnica is an herb that’s related to the sunflower. Arnica has a long history of being used medicinally to treat various ailments including bruising. In a study published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, researchers found that arnica reduced facial bruising and swelling in a group of women who had undergone facelift surgery. Arnica contains natural chemicals called flavonoids that decrease the permeability of blood vessels and help to clean up damaged tissue. This speeds up healing.
Goldfaden Arnica and Vitamin K from the Skin Store is a skin cream that contains both vitamin K and arnica along with natural oils and other natural ingredients. It can be used on bruises to speed up their healing. It can also be applied to spider veins to make them look less obvious. Another product from the Skin Store called B. Kamins Replenishing Eye Cream Kx can be applied to bruises and used to diminish the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. It contains vitamin K and vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to strengthen and stabilize blood vessels so they’re less susceptible to damage. These products can be applied to clean skin up to several times a day.
The Bottom Line?
Bruising is a common problem, and the discoloration can be hard to cover up. Fortunately, there are products such as Goldfaden Arnica and Vitamin K. They contain ingredients that help to speed up the healing of bruising and make them a little easier to deal with.
References:
J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Aug;47(2):241-4.
Bastyr Center for Natural Health. “Arnica Reduces Postoperative Bruising”
Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery. 2006; 8: 54-9.
