How to Heal and Prevent Bruises Naturally

Do you bruise easily? Does it take bruises forever to heal on you? Or maybe you just have one stubborn bruise that it taking forever to go away.

I bruise super easily. One of my many fine qualities. 😉

I have this seemingly inherited trait that I can look at a piece of furniture wrong and the next day, there will be a nice big brown spot on my leg.

I usually get them on my legs but that’s also usually where I bump.

They can be so prevalent and noticeable that one of my husband’s softball teammates jokingly asked him if he was beating me. #notamused (At least he was smart enough to not say that with me standing there, lol)

Today, I’m going to give you a few ways to heal your bruises quicker, as well as what has works for me to help prevent them.

This post includes shopping links, mostly for your reference, and so you can easily source the products I’ve recommended. Some of these may be affiliate links from which I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase.

First, I will go into healing current bruises, and then I will talk about preventing future bruises.

HEALING: Healing Bruises Quickly & Naturally

There are a few items I find that will help bruises heal quicker. Since this is a quick tip segment, I won’t go into too much detail about how they work, but the last one I will explain later in the post.

Also, please note that this is only from my experience and research, and does not substitute for medical advice.

Frequent brusing can be signs of a bigger concern, but sometimes, it’s just genetics or result of an injury. I’m addressing more towards the latter.

You should see your doctor for anything of concern, including bruises to the head to check for concussion.

1. Rub it away immediately

If you’re like me, you’ll bruise when just about anything touches you the wrong way. Be it the corner of a low piece of furniture or a child who likes to play a little too roughly.

So when you know that injury (which hasn’t broken the skin), is going to be a bruise, begin to rub it with a tiny bit of pressure.

What you want to prevent is the blood pooling in that area, which is what happens when bruises form. If you can, sit down and elevate the area while you’re rubbing.

Note: I have had this work really well for me, however, I do not know if this would be contraindicated for anyone with heart problems.

(Rumor is, you’re not supposed to rub out cramps because it’s too hard on the heart because of the increased blood flow. That may be true or complete myth, and I don’t think/know that the same applies here, but better safe than sorry!)

So check with your doctor if that’s a concern.

But this technique does work, I have used it several times to successfully fend off bruises.

If you have a tendency to bruise easily like mine, you just know when you will bruise.

They’re just mean that way

2. Homeopathic Arnica Montana & Arnica gel

Okay, I won’t go into how Homeopathy works, but it is a line of medicine made from natural substances that are highly diluted, and no, it is not herbs, home remedies and essential oils. But it works soooo well and is so much safer than those others!

You can take Arnica montana 30c or 200c orally (the numbers are the potency level) when you’ve had a bump up.

I have taken Arnica and not only has it prevented bruising, it also took the pain away.

In addition to my legs, I manage to hit my head quite a bit, nothing serious, but this Arnica always helps with the pain and the tenderness at the bump spot. (Great for kids who get knots on their heads from bumps.)

Though oral Arnica isn’t necessarily the best choice for established bruises that are a few days old, it is really great for that first few hours/day of the “owie” moment.

(For established bruises, I will usually ride it out and not do anything. You can try Ledum pulustre for a few doses over a day or two and see if it’ll break up the blood pooling, or the next suggestion as well.)

Arnica Gel for New and Old Bruises

There is also an Arnica gel that helps to prevent bruises and can somewhat dissipate bruises that are a few days old.

It’s a great option for something easy to rub on. I have found that it gives pretty decent results, but it probably won’t completely get rid of the bruise, will just lessen it and progress it to healing.

Here is a great picture from my new internet friend Rachelle V who used one use of the Arnica gel after having bruising from IV’s put into her arms. Thank you for sharing, Rachelle!

picture of bruised arms relieved by Arnica montana gel

You can see where the bruises lightened (she said this is a few hours in between), and she said that her arm was also no longer sore.

(And this was while she was pregnant; yes, homeopathy can be used during pregnancy, but always consult a homeopath/doctor if in doubt how to use it correctly.)

PREVENTION: Naturally Preventing Bruises with Vitamin C

Years (more like decades) ago as a teenager, I remember reading in one of my dad’s natural health books that one of the reasons that people bruise easily is because of their low Vitamin C intake.

I thought this curious, because I didn’t really think I was low in Vitamin C. But then again, I didn’t regularly eat greens, citrus fruits or take a supplement. So, I decided to test this out.

I began drinking a glass of orange juice every day or so.

Want to know what results I saw? I wasn’t bruising.

With the general, everyday clumsiness of myself and bumping into things, I didn’t have any new bruises. And this lasted for pretty much the time I was drinking the juice.

When I forgot to get another jug-o-juice and went a few days/wees without drinking it, I noticed that my tendency to bruise easily slowly began to return to normal. Hmmmm…

Side Note: Is Orange Juice the Best Source of Vitamin C?

Nowadays, I realize that a whole glass of orange juice drunk regularly is a LOT of sugar, probably more than a body needs to keep insulin levels healthy.

Insulin maintains your body’s blood sugar and newer research is showing that elevated insulin is a major contributing factor in many chronic diseases today such as diabetes, obesity, heart problems, and even cancer.

I will admit, being 100% honest, it may be the quickest way I have noticed to get bruises to go away.

That being said, I really haven’t tested out other Vitamin C supplements as far as bruise healing goes. I only know they do well in preventing bruises.

Best Sources for Vitamin C

I want to write a different post on Vitamin C itself, but for now, I will give you the abbreviated version and just tell you some products I like for Vitamin C sourcing:

A. The Best Way to Get Vitamin C

The best place you can get the most natural Vitamin C is from whole food sources. So, we’re talking about:

• Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower)
• Leafy Greens (spinach, kale, chard)
• Berries
• Citrus Fruits (i.e., oranges, lemons, grapefruit)

The problem is, at least in the United States where I am, our soil has been so depleted, we have to supplement for a lot of vitamins and minerals.

And frankly, I probably eat better than a lot of Americans and try to eat a few of each of the first three every day, but I still do better when I supplement Vitamin C.

2. Best Vitamin C Supplements

There are so many out there, it’s hard to narrow them all down. But here are a few of my favorites that I have tried and have worked well:

1. Baobab powder: I will go more into this in my Vitamin C post, but basically, this from a fruit that is not only rich in Vitamin C, but also many other nutrients.

It is also the highest antioxidant food on the planet.

And it’s pretty tasty. It’s like a dried citrus powder.

It’s really great, but start sloooowly and work up… it is also very rich in fiber, so you may find yourself on the toilet a little more than normal…

But even at just maybe 3/4 of a teaspoon, I noticed nearly no bruising when I take it. You can mix it into smoothies, hot and cold drinks, put it in sauces, all kinds of options.

2. Supplements like Camu camu and Amla. These are higher in Vitamin C than baobab, though not as rich in other nutrients and antioxidants, which is why I didn’t recommend them first.

3. Plain ole Vitamin C supplements. While I recommend whole food sources, sometimes just getting the vitamin itself is just easier.

I used these Vitamin C pills and had great success with not bruising. I recommend 1,000mg.

If you make smoothies, this brand is good in powder form as an addition.

I love that both brands are in amber glass bottles, which is important to keep the integrity of the pills and powder.

Okay, I think that is all I have on this subject for today.

If you found this post helpful, please let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you!

And if you bought one of the products suggested, which did you pick and why? I love feedback!

Thanks for reading!!

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How to Heal and Prevent Bruises Naturally