# minimizing/eradicating bruises

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022 "2001-02-03T17:21:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/1 "2001-02-03T17:21:23Z")

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Thanks to a bench that sadistically jumped in front of me as I was walking on campus, I now have a bruise on my leg. It happened a few days ago. I’m sure I would feel differently if I got it doing something exciting like mountain biking or jumping off a plane, but as it is I’m getting tired of explaining to people that I just don’t know how to walk. Does anyone know any ways of eradidicating or at least minimizing bruises?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/2 "2001-02-03T18:07:33Z")

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If you ice the area and use moderate pressure very early on (ie before the bruise even appears), this will help reduce it. Once it’s appeared, the best thing for it is tincture of time.

Qadgop, MD

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**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/3 "2001-02-04T00:34:59Z")

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I agree with Qad that it’s too late now. However, I would suggest that incipient bruises be treated elevation in addition to cold and compression.

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**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/4 "2001-02-04T00:49:01Z")

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I’ve found that frequent massage speeds up the removal of bruises. My arms and legs are constantly getting bruised so I get to try some real controlled experiments on this. Heat also seesm to help, though not as much.

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**Author:** ![IMATION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@IMATION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IMATION)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/5 "2001-02-04T01:11:02Z")

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Heat relief cream works very well.

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**Author:** ![Lyllyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/6 "2001-02-05T05:07:23Z")

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If you can do this pretty quickly after the incident, it works quite well…leeches. They wont go after the “dead blood” - the stuff you see when a bruise forms, but are very effective for swelling and bruising.

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimizing-eradicating-bruises/53022/7 "2001-02-05T05:16:41Z")

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Why don’t you just wear pants until it goes away naturally?