A bruise forms when blood vessels under the skin break. The trapped blood creates a bruise that’s black, purple or blue then changes color as it heals.

You can enhance bruise healing with a few simple techniques.

  • Elevate the bruised area above heart level, if possible.
  • Apply an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel. Leave it in place for 20 minutes. Repeat several times for a day or two after the injury. This helps to reduce the swelling and pain.
  • If the bruised area is swelling, put an elastic bandage around it, but not too tight.

If the skin isn’t broken, you don’t need to bandage a bruise. Consider taking a nonprescription pain reliever if needed.

Consult your health care provider if you:

  • Have very painful swelling in the bruised area
  • Suspect a bruise has been caused by child abuse, domestic violence or elder abuse
  • Are still experiencing pain three days after a seemingly minor injury
  • Have frequent, large or painful bruises
  • Have bruises that begin suddenly or seem to develop for no reason
  • Have a personal or family history of easy bruising or bleeding
  • Notice a lump form over the bruise, which may be a sign of pooling blood, also called a hematoma
  • Have unusual bleeding, such as from the nose or gums




 

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which
information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with
other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could
include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected
health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health
information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of
privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on
the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.