Bruising

Herbal Healing Helpers

Arnica and calendula both help to speed the healing of bruises and act as anti-inflammatories, though arnica is a more popular alternative. The chemicals in the herbs will increase your circulation, washing away blood and damaged skin cells that collect under the surface of the skin.

Massage a dab of arnica or calendula cream or ointment (sold at health food stores and many pharmacies) onto the bruised area three times a day. Don't use arnica on open wounds or broken skin; it interferes with healing.

A Valuable Vegetable

An unusual and effective treatment for a bruise can be found in your pantry: Onions. It seems that the same chemicals that cause eyes to water can be absorbed through the skin. A slice of yellow onion placed on a fresh bruise for 15 minutes can help stimulate the lymphatic flow, flushing away excess blood. Apply the onion immediately after the bump or impact to increase the efficacy of this treatment.

Bruise Juice

Did you run into the sharp edge of your desk or coffee table again? Take a seat, relax and have a tall, cool glass of pineapple juice.

Containing bromelain, an enzyme that has anti­inflammatory properties, the juice will help to reduce swelling and the redness of a fresh bruise.

Sprig Cleaning

Sprigs of parsley don't often get the chance to star at the dinner table. More likely, they are an after thought, a punctuation mark of the meal. But the next time you have an unsightly, painful bruise, crush and chop a handful of chilled parsley sprigs and apply them straight to the bruise. In the same unspectacular but efficient fashion in which it attacks bad breath, parsley goes to work taking the color out of the bruise, often within 24 hours.

Put Comfrey to Work

For those who have bruises that they would like to fade quickly, comfrey can provide two­pronged assistance. An ancient remedy for a variety of skin ailments (it contains allantoin, which encourages skin repair), more recently comfrey has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, Commission E, Germany's version of the FDA, now says comfrey is useful for treating bruises as well as sprains. While applying ice to the bruise, brew some comfrey tea and soak sterile gauze in it. After icing for a while (a few 20-minute sessions should help), apply your comfrey compress.