When you want to get rid of bruising, you may feel a bit at your wits end.  There are a lot of people out there who have to deal with easy bruising on a regular basis, and if you find that you are bruising with very little provocation or for no seeming reason, you definitely want a solution that will make the bruises fade and go away.  The truth is that there are definitely some treatments that work great and can make your bruises disappear as though by magic, but there are also a number of so-called cures that originate with old wives tales and bad advice.  In other words, there are a lot of erroneously recommended treatments out there.

The first thing that you should be aware of is that you should not apply heat to the area.  Cold can help, but heat is only going to inflame the area, and in some cases, make it worse.  It is true that applied heat helps circulation, and although circulation is certainly important, this is not what you want to encourage when dealing with a fresh bruise.  Remember that a bruise is the breakage of tiny blood vessels under the skin, and the last thing that you want to do is to encourage more blood flow to the area.   Applying heat can actually get you a bruise that is even more pronounced.

Do not rub onions on the bruise.  This is one of those old folks tales that gets circulated a great deal.  Someone’s mother or someone’s best friend might have told you that cold slices of onion laid against your skin will help reduce the bruise, but the truth of the matter is that you are going to do is end up smelling like an onion.  The cold feels nice, but a cold pack, if the bruise is hurting you, is going to be a much better option.  Stay away from this supposed cure, it actually does no good.

Another urban fable that has been pretty persistent is the though process that dairy products can help reduce bruising.  It’s said that milk does do a body good, but for the most part, this only works when applied to the inside of your body, not externally.  If you think taking a bath in milk will be good for your skin, understand that not enough lactic acid is going to penetrate your skin in order to make a difference to your bruise.  Keep the milk, cottage cheese, and butter available for sandwiches but away from bruising.

Avoid using Orajel (the teething pain medicine) or any similar type of product on your bruise.  Check out the ingredients.  Essentially, products like these are meant to take down swelling, and they may give you a pleasant cool tingle where they are applied, but the truth of the matter is that they are not meant for this purpose, and while they might help relieve some pain, they are not going to do anything for the bruise itself.

For each of the folks with bruising problems, it appears that almost everyone has their own unique way to overcome their bruising.  Their individual cure may work very well for them, but remember that we all bruise differently and that our bodies are completely different.  While trying to find a cure that is appropriate for you, always be certain that you know the reasons why the cure should work, and what the rationale behind it is.

About the author: 


Carolyn Cooper is recognized as a well known expert on bruising causes through a combination of her educational experience in nutrition and her real life expertise with nutritional supplements for athletes, ranging from children to the professional ranks. You can get a free Special Report on bruising causes and see what she’s done to get you beyond the nightmares of easy bruising and help you prevent bruising altogether.