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Most Effective Essential Oils For Bruises

Ever wake up and wonder how you got that bruise?

You most probably sometimes don’t even realize that you have a bruise until someone points it out to you. It can happen to anyone, of all ages even when you least expect it. Bruises are generally small, bluish-black marks that indicate you have been injured. However, it’s nothing to worry about as it’s not a sign of anything serious.

It’s when you hit or run into something that you get a bruise where the small, underlying blood vessels rupture and start bleeding. It could be, like in my case, something as simple as your not so little dog jumping up and down in your lap.

Bruises result because the blood from the ruptured vessels have nowhere to go, and ends up at the injury site leaving a mark.

Causes

While bruises typically occur when you bump into something or someone, there are some other possible causes for these contusions like:

  • Certain medications like blood thinners, aspirin, and steroids
  • Intense exercise, weight lifting, and contact sports
  • Aged people because of their delicate, thin skin and increased chances of falling because of loss of balance
  • Children learning to run, ride bikes, or falling down while playing a sport
  • Certain health conditions like blood clotting disorder and blood disease
  • Damaged skin due to UV rays

Symptoms

  • Bruises are usually red in color at first. It’s only after a few hours that it becomes bluish and it’s towards the end of the healing cycle that it turns green or yellow.
  • While contusions are tender to the touch at first, as time and its color changes, the pain slowly reduces.

How bruises affect your life

Photo: www.vandenberg.af.mil

Bruises themselves should not affect your social life or work productivity much. At the most, you may feel some pain and discomfort, which subsides in a day or two.

However, women may find it difficult facing society with marks on their bodies, as people tend to think that the marks are a sign of abuse.

Being a woman, you may get questioning glances and stares, especially if you have multiple marks on your legs and hands. Though you may have acquired the marks while playing your favorite sports or because of some medications you are taking, people tend to get different ideas.

The stares and glances people give you can make you feel rather uncomfortable.

Treatment

There’s usually no need of heading to your doctor if you have small protrusions. It’s only if it’s a big and painful bruise that lasts for more than four weeks or so that you should consult your doctor.

You also have to consult your doctor if you seem to be constantly bruising, and for no reason at all. In case of other, less severe bruises, the following tips should help give you relief and ensure you remain bruise-free:

If you have a considerably large bruise, you could first apply some ice on the site to slow down the blood flow and keep the affected area from becoming inflamed. Then you can apply a warm compress once the swelling reduces so that the healing process is quickened.

• Pain relievers

If the bruise is really painful and has a lot of swelling, then you can take some pain killers for some relief. However, do not take aspirin or ibuprofen as they are blood thinners and only worsen and not heal the bruise.

• Green vegetables 

Eating leafy green and other vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts helps as they contain Vitamin K, which is the clotting vitamin.

• Essential oils

You can also try essential oil for bruises. They help provide pain relief and also quicken the bruise’s healing process.

What essential oil is best for bruises?

1. Frankincense essential oil

Frankincense essential oil is another necessity in a house full of young children who are prone to tumbling and getting bruises. This oil is safe to apply on children and for various skin applications. Not only does it help heal bruises, but is also helpful in reducing stress, improving body immunity and can even prevent cancer.

2. Lavender essential oil 

Lavender is one of the best essential oils for bruises carrying quite a few medicinal properties and applications. It’s gentle on the skin, which is why it’s least likely to trigger any negative skin reactions. In fact, it’s safe to use on children, making an essential essential oil in most families for treating common and everyday contusions.

Best use: It’s better to apply lavender oil as soon as the bruise occurs as the oil helps constrict blood flow. Place an ice pack on the bruised area immediately after a blow and leave it on for no longer than 15 minutes.

Then remove the ice pack and mix a few drops of lavender oil with a carrier oil like coconut or almond oil and apply on the bruise. Repeat every few hours till the mark vanishes, along with any swelling and inflammation.

3. Helichrysum essential oil

Helichrysum essential oil is known for its various skin application and as a popular natural skin treatment option. It can be applied topically with a carrier oil to prevent and heal sun damage, scars and abrasions. It’s also effective for applying to your skin and reducing the appearance of bruises and blemishes.

When to apply: The oil however, gives the best results if applied about six hours, or a day after the bruise occurs, as it helps with blood circulation. Blood circulation is important once the bruise swelling reduces as it helps the bruise heal, which in turn leads to the rapid fading of the mark.

So apply helichrysum essential oil with the carrier oil every few hours, till the bruise starts to fade.

Useful blend of essential oils

You can make a blend mixing:

Keep handy at home to help with the quick healing of contusions

Perfect for making a cold compress by filling a container with cold water, adding the mixture, and then dipping a clean cloth into the mixture and applying on the bruise for ten minutes.

Repeat twice a day till the bruise heals. Since bruises heal quicker if you switch between hot and cold compresses, you can also use the blend with a warm compress after applying the cold compress.

 



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