Despite its popularity as a bruise remedy, there’s almost no research on the effectiveness of toothpaste and no evidence that it improves bruising. Part of toothpaste’s success might be due to the placebo effect—the paste’s cool, soothing feeling might make people think it’s more effective than it really is. Unless you have sensitive skin or a cut on your bruise, toothpaste is harmless as long as you use it once per day.
Test a small dab on toothpaste in a hidden spot, like the inside of your wrist, to see how it affects your skin before rubbing it all over a bruise. Toothpaste is unhygienic after the cap is removed for the first time. It might increase your chance of infection if the skin’s broken over the bruise.
Try adding a few drops of coconut oil to help keep the toothpaste from drying out your skin.
The bandage will keep the toothpaste-lotion mixture from getting on your sheets, bedding, or PJs during the night.
Treat the bruise with ice a handful of times during the first 24 hours after injury. Never apply ice or a cold compact directly to your bare skin. Use a towel, cloth, or your clothes to cover your skin and protect it from cold damage. When the blood vessels around a bruise are cooled, they constrict and keep more blood from leaking out into the surrounding tissue.
Rest until the initial pain and swelling have started to subside. When you’re less active, your blood flow slows down and will make your bruise look less prominent than if you continued working out or moving around.
Use heat for up to 20 minutes at a time, several times throughout the day. Heat is most helpful during the first 2-3 days after the initial 24 hours of icing. Heat will also loosen tight muscles and relieve pain associated with the bruise.
Elevation also reduces pressure on the bruise, allowing inflammatory fluid to drain while increasing blood flow back to your heart.
Keep the wrap on during waking hours for 1-2 days after injury. Combine compression with elevation whenever possible for the fastest healing results.
Check the instructions on your arnica gel before using it. Most recommend not applying it to broken skin or cuts and avoiding it if you’re allergic to arnica. Do not take arnica by mouth without the supervision of a doctor since the herb can be dangerous when ingested. Arnica is an herb with compounds that can help reduce swelling and inflammation.
Try eating pineapple. It contains bromelain which fights inflammation and can help the severity of bruises. Eat produce with quercetin—apples, citrus, red onions, leafy greens, and dark-colored berries—to strengthen blood vessels and reduce inflammation. Stick to lean protein that’s low in saturated fats and cholesterol to support your blood vessels, like fish, poultry, or tofu, or cottage cheese.
Follow the instructions and dosage recommendations for any over-the-counter medicine you take to prevent negative side effects.
You bruise often or get recurring bruises without a known cause The pain and swelling of the bruise is increasing You’re unable to move a joint because of a bruise You suspect there’s a broken bone under the bruise Your eye is injured or bruised
