# How does an egg remove a bruise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177 "2006-02-19T05:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/41 "2015-02-15T00:22:53Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > My neighbour was painting white lines on the road outside his house. when I asked, he told me that they were to keep lions away. Of course I said that there were no lions around here. He replied that the white lines obviously worked then. That’s just bullshit woo-woo stuff. I mean, the tiger stuff is real, man. **Mak1981** : I’m sure you mean well with this, but for a site that prides itself on fighting ignorance, this sort of claim is going to garner pretty much nothing but derision. In the end, what you’re offering is your opinion backed up by nothing more than. . .your opinion. It doesn’t help that it’s your first post here, and that we get a lot of drive-bys who pop in, make some outrageous claim, and then never return. If you stick around, then welcome, but I’d suggest you lurk for a bit to see what the culture of the board is. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/42 "2015-02-15T00:28:58Z")
How’s that possible? A bruise is because of blood under your skin. The blood’s not going to go from beneath the skin to an egg outside the skin. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/43 "2015-02-15T00:47:54Z")
> [@Mak1981](#): > > Yes the solution might be too late for OP. He perished from consumption of bruised eggs. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/44 "2015-02-15T01:00:02Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > In the interest of fighting ignorance, I decided to experiment. > > First, I had to bruise myself. Several times, so I could try the different (of which I will speak) and a control bruise. I used a 20 oz framing hammer and struck my forearms and upper thighs. (Thank goodness I’m ambidexterous!) > > The bruises all showed up nicely. Eight in total, two on each forearm and upper arm. > > Then, I used several different methods of egg. Hard boiled in shell, hard boiled egg with shell removed, soft boiled egg in shell, soft boiled egg with shell removed, raw egg, raw egg with shell removed, and one egg sunny side up with some Jimmy Dean’s sage sausage side of toast and some grits with butter milk and sugar. I only did the seven because I left one bruise open as the control bruise. > > Though there was a definite difference in the feel of certain egg applications, not one removed the bruise from my flesh. And a couple of the applications made quite a mess. > > I took 4x5" Fujichromes of each bruise and egg application and included some carefully posed candids of me eating the experiment for breakfast. I also had hazlenut coffee, as is my wont. > > I forgot to use darkslides on the film holders, tho, so we’ll have to wait til I develope them to see if that affected the film exposure any. > > But, it appears this myth is busted. Funny, I was just about to do this very experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/45 "2015-02-15T01:25:36Z")
Just in case anyone is wondering why the OP is no longer participating in this thread, it’s because he no longer has time for this nonsense since he changed his name to Dr. Oz and has better things to do. Nyaah nyaah nyaah, ppppffffftttt! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/46 "2015-02-15T01:28:47Z")
This thread is making me think of the Cat in the Hat and the bath-tub ring that spreads, and spreads, and spreads… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/47 "2015-02-15T01:33:26Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Funny, I was just about to do this very experiment. You didn’t actually say if any of those bruises ever healed. Did they? Or are the bruises still there? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/48 "2015-02-15T01:41:31Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Funny, I was just about to do this very experiment. One key to good science is repeatability of results…so…go for it! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/49 "2015-02-15T01:50:05Z")
The film was fogged. Then I went insane for a couple of weeks. By that time, the bruises were gone. Most likely due to the E-6 developing chemicals. My post is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![Cole33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cole33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cole33)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/50 "2015-02-15T02:18:07Z")
I gonna go make an egg sandwich. yum:o ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/51 "2015-02-15T05:02:54Z")
If you get a bite that has formed a hard lump and is in the itchy or early stages of burning you can use a hot hard boiled egg on it and it will immediately stop the itch and the burning and prevent it from becomming a large sore. The heat is hot enough to kill the bacteria close to the surface and the egg holds heat long enough to accomplish this. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/52 "2015-02-15T05:50:44Z")
> [@Mak1981](#): > > I should have mentioned this: Remember those bruises you ever had? They first appear blue/purple, the color will turn yellow in few days and begin to spread out, then fade away in the next few days. If you let it heal naturally, it usually goes away in few days to a week, depending on how bad it is. By using this method it only speeds up the bruises’ healing time (yes, for both the pain and color). This is no David Copperfield. It won’t disappear in just a snap. But if you are doing it right (following those steps in my previous message), the bruise will turn from blue to yellow very quickly, while you are rowing the egg on it. I don’t want to leave you up egg creek without a paddle, so I should explain that your description is physically impossible. Bruises change colors slowly due to hemoglobin breakdown into other molecules (such as bilirubin\* and hemosiderin). These breakdown products are gradually phagocytized and removed from the bruise site and so it slowly disappears. All you would likely do by “rowing” an egg on the bruise is further damage the capillaries, cause more blood to extravasate into the tissue and prolong the time the bruise hangs around. You can learn more at [this website](http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/beauty/bruise.htm) that explains how stuff works, helpfully using the example of former President George Bush. _"In 2002, President Bush choked on a pretzel, fainted and suffered an abrasion on his cheek and a bruise on his lower lip. Later in his presidency, he escaped bruising when he dodged a flying shoe. "_ There is no mention of Bush using an egg to erase his bruises, but they may not have had any handy at Walter Reed. \*you may remember that Billy Rubin was the fake kidnapper name that Hannibal Lecter gave authorities while he was screwing around with them in “The Silence Of The Lambs”. This has nothing to do with healing of bruises, but is what I like to call a “fun fact”. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/53 "2015-02-15T07:38:14Z")
> [@Mak1981](#): > > When you take out that piece of silver you will notice the color is transferred onto it. I will post instruction on how to clean sterling silver, at the end of this message. No, you’ll notice that silver tarnishes when combined with eggs, because of the sulfur content. **yoyodyne** , already mentioned this, but it obviously needs to be pointed out to you more directly. I’d suggest you try sticking some silver in eggs and keep the eggs away from bruises, but I suspect you’d then develop the bright new idea that the combination sucks “toxins” out of the air. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/54 "2015-02-16T23:47:59Z")
I’m a vegan. Can I replace the egg with tofu? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/55 "2015-02-16T23:51:47Z")
> [@Kiyoshi](#): > > I’m a vegan. Can I replace the egg with tofu? Tofu only removes bruises from vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/56 "2015-02-17T00:41:55Z")
IANAD, but doesn’t heat help bruises heal faster? My guess is that rolling a freshly boiled egg probably does the same thing as apply a heat pack to a bruise, which is why people might think that it works. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/57 "2015-02-17T01:39:30Z")
You forgot that you kinda bruised yourself with a hammer? ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/58 "2015-02-18T15:20:49Z")
> [@Mak1981](#): > > I should have mentioned this: Remember those bruises you ever had? They first appear blue/purple, the color will turn yellow in few days and begin to spread out, then fade away in the next few days. If you let it heal naturally, it usually goes away in few days to a week, depending on how bad it is. By using this method it only speeds up the bruises’ healing time (yes, for both the pain and color). This is no David Copperfield. It won’t disappear in just a snap. But if you are doing it right (following those steps in my previous message), the bruise will turn from blue to yellow very quickly, **while you are rowing the egg on it.** (Bolding mine) Row, row, row the egg Gently on your bruise. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, The yolk is all on youse. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/59 "2015-02-18T18:22:37Z")
> [@OffByOne](#): > > (Bolding mine) > > Row, row, row the egg > Gently on your bruise. > Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, > The yolk is all on youse. Kudos ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177/60 "2015-02-18T18:30:51Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > It’s OK, you can giggle out loud and people will just assume you’re on a cellphone.What the hell do you think is in a bruise? Mercury? Plutonium? Fetal parts?Fair enough. It isn’t.It’s too late - I think those bruises faded away sometime late in 2006. > > I have this image of **Mak1981** and others who try this method going through endless steps trying to get Bruise Dye out of various things - silver objects, mixing bowls, aluminum foil, countertops… > > Eventually they’ll have to burn the house down to get rid of it. I knew someone this happened to, and they still had to dig up and cart off all the soil from the yard, since there was no way to get the stain out. He should have tried some Voom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-egg-remove-a-bruise/345177.md?page=4)