Bruises are unattractive! Bruises in obvious places like
the face, arms, and legs can reduce your sense of confidence
in your appearance, or they can impact your job if you're
being filmed, photographed, or watched as part of your role.
Covering up a bruise can be done in a number of ways, from
makeup to clothing, and this article explores how, as well
as suggesting ways to speed up the healing process.
!! Steps !!
!! Help The Healing Process !!
Caring properly for your bruise will help it to heal faster and
minimize its obviousness in a shorter space of time.
The bruising process Understand bruise formation and duration. A
bruise (contusion or ecchymosis) will form when something that has
impacted your skin breaks blood vessels (capillaries) near the skin's
surface but not your skin. The impact will cause small amounts of
blood leakage from the ruptured blood vessels into the tissues under
your ski. This usually turns into a black and blue mark.[1]
* A bruise tends to pass through a stage of starting out red,
turning to blue, purple, or black within 1 to 2 days. After 5 to
10 days the bruise takes on a green or yellow tinge and turns
yellowish or light brown after 10 to 14 days. For most people, the
bruise will have faded after 2 weeks.[2]
Help the bruise to heal. As part of the process of covering up
your bruise, do your best to give it a chance to heal faster. The
following things may help your bruise:[3]
* Elevate the injured area. Elevation helps by reducing the flow of
blood to the bruise. This is likely to be of most use for leg and
arm bruises but even your head can be propped up using pillows.
* In the first one to two days following the bruise, apply ice or a
cold pack to the bruised area for half an hour to an hour each
time. Use a pack of frozen veggies if you don't have an ice pack;
wrap a think towel around it to prevent freezer burn. The sooner
that you apply cold to the bruise, the sooner you'll reduce its
size because this slows down the blood flow to the damaged area,
thereby reducing the amount of blood leaking into the tissues.[4]
* Rest the bruised area if this is possible.
* Take pain relief to help reduce the pain and the swelling.
* If the bruised area needs bandaging because your skin broke, see
your doctor.
!! Concealing The Bruise !!
Most people think of makeup when considering how to cover up a bruise,
and this makes good sense when it concerns the face. And makeup can
also be put to good use on other areas of the body as needed.
Have a friend help if it's tricky Use a concealer. The following
method is a fairly standard cover-up approach, as suggested by Carol
Shaw, celebrity makeup artists based in Los Angeles.[5]
* Check that there aren't any cuts, nicks, or stitches. This method
(and any application of makeup) should only be used where the skin
as not been broken or is not stitched. It can be used on any
exposed part of the body, not just the face.
* Find fragrance-free, hypoallergenic concealer with a yellow base.
This has the thickest consistency and will therefore be the most
effective at covering up the bruise completely. Moreover, the
yellow color will offset the blue discoloring that most bruising
brings about. However, note that if your bruise has other color
tones, it may be more helpful to get a concealer or makeup able to
counteract the differing bruise colors; for example, get green
based cosmetics for red bruises, white based cosmetics for brown
bruises, and lavender based cosmetics for yellow bruises.[6]
* Carefully apply the concealer to the bruised area. Don't press too
hard; you don't want to compress it any further or bring on more
pain!
* Pat it into your skin carefully using a fingertip. Blend gently. A
compact puff can help with the blending.
* Look at the result in the mirror. Repeat if the bruise is still
peeking through.
* Place foundation closest to your skin color over the concealer.
This step is optional - you can rely simply on the concealer if
preferred.
* Use a translucent powder to dust over the concealer or concealer
and foundation. This will help to keep the makeup in place.
* Recheck during the day. It should last but just in case, or if
you're having a very long day, carry the concealer and powder with
you and reapply as necessary.
* Consider using mauve lipstick.[7] If you have access to mauve
lipstick, you might be able to use it to cover up a bruise. Simply
apply it to the bruise and blend over it; then apply foundation
and powder.
* Look for a commercial bruise covering kit. There are commercially
produced bruise cover-up kits available if you'd prefer; the types
that cover up tattoos also work well for covering up bruises.
Check online or with a pharmacist and simply follow the
instructions provided with the kit.
* Distract. For facial bruising, consider using highly contrasting
or interesting makeup on the area of your face where there is no
bruise, to distract attention away from the bruised area. For
example, if you have a bruise on your chin, wear brighter or
darker colors on your eyes to draw the viewer's attention upward.
* Ask your doctor or your dermatologist for a suggested cover-up.
Some cosmetic surgeons will recommend a cover-up solution for
bruises caused by cosmetic surgery.
!! Dressing To Hide The Bruise !!
Another reason long socks come in handy Use clothes or accessories
to hide the bruise. Clothes and accessories can hide all manner of
things when placed strategically. This might include using
long-sleeves, accessories, stockings, etc., even where you wouldn't
normally. Here are some suggestions:
* Wear clothing with long sleeves and full length legs, or enough to
cover up the bruise.
* Wrap a scarf around your neck. Use a fashionable knot or tie-wrap
to keep it in place.
* Wear opaque tights or pantyhose to cover up a leg bruise. This is
less desirable during hotter weather, however.
* If the weather is hot, you can still use clothing to cover up
bruises. Simply opt for lightweight cotton in long, flowing
sleeve, pant, or skirt styles.
* At the beach, wear a wraparound to conceal upper leg bruises.
* If the bruise is on your ankle, wear long socks or pants to hide
your ankle.
* Use wristbands on the arm.
!! Bruises In A Photo !!
* Airbrush away the blemishes Use a computer program able
to remove blemishes from photos. Airbrushing techniques can be
done professionally to remove a bruise from an image,[8] or you
could use a program like Photoshop at home.
!! See The Doctor If... !!
If it just won't heal, see the doctor Know when to see a doctor
about bruising. It is important to see your doctor if your bruises
are not healing or if they show unusual features. Sometimes bruising
is a sign of a blood-clotting problem or a blood-related disease.
Here are some reasons to seek your doctor's advice:[9][10]
* Any bruises near your eyes should be investigated by a doctor,
immediately.
* Two weeks have passed and your bruise is not showing any signs of
lessening.
* You seem to be bruising a lot and you're not being clumsy or
participating in boxing matches. In addition, you're experiencing
abnormal bleeding elsewhere, such as from your nose, gums, or in
your stool or urine.
* Bruises seem to be simply appearing out of nowhere. Or, the
bruises seem unusually large.
* The pain associated with your bruise has not lessened or has
actually increased. Or you are experiencing a constant headache
along with the bruising.
* The bruise is swelling.
* You're not able to move a part of your body (joint) where the
bruise is situated.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Use a strategically placed bandanna to cover a bruise. Simply wrap
it around and pin into place. Choose one that matches your
clothing.
* The severity of bruising can be remedied with an herbal solution.
Consider using calendula ointment or witch hazel solutions to help
stop the bleeding under the skin and speed healing. Or, apply a
cabbage leaf poultice: simply warm the greenest leaves in hot
water, discard the ribs, and drain. Flatten using a rolling pin
and apply layers to the bruise. Tape down and leave for a few
hours, replacing with a new poultice.[11]
* Remember to remove any makeup used before sleep.
!! Warnings !!
* If you apply a bag of frozen vegetables to the bruise, plan on
cooking with the vegetables rather than placing them back into the
freezer thawed.
* Don't apply concealer or makeup of any kind over cut skin,
stitches, or wounds.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Yellow-based powder concealer
* Translucent make-up powder
* Mauve lipstick
* Long-sleeved, long-legged clothing
* Accessories
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Remove a Hickey
* How to Treat a Fat Lip
* How to Get Rid of Those White Spots on Your Nails
* How to Get Rid of Acne Using a Home Remedy
* How to Get Rid of Bruises
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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