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Ointment for bruises: what is the best to choose?
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Ointment for bruises is a remedy that reduces pain, swelling and effectively dissolves existing bruises and hematomas.
A bruise is a soft tissue injury, usually a closed injury, the cause is mechanical impact of an object of great force. After the impact of external force, swelling and hemorrhage inward into nearby tissues immediately appear. Pain can vary in intensity, so zas from bruises is often used to relieve pain. If the blow hit the surface of the shin, periosteum, ulnar nerve, the pain can be very acute, even shock.
The severity of a bruise depends not only on the force but also on the part of the body it affected. If there is a lot of soft tissue and lymph nodes in the bruise area, the bruises can be extensive; in places where there is less subcutaneous tissue, the hemorrhages will be pinpoint. A bruise can also damage a nearby organ; if the head takes the blow, a concussion is possible. A bruise to the abdomen is fraught with ruptures of organs, such as the spleen. Any blow to the bone can provoke hemarthrosis - hemorrhage into the joint cavity.
A finger phalanx after a bruise may hurt due to a subungual hematoma, and hemorrhages into the pleura often form in the chest. That is why ointment for bruises is a first aid that does not replace treatment in cases of severe injury.
What are the symptoms of a mild bruise that do not require medical attention? You can use not only ointment for bruises, but also various gels and solutions if there are such signs:
- Minor swelling at the site of injury;
- Closed contusion, without damage to the skin;
- The pain is bearable and appears only when touching the injured area;
- A bruise that does not spread and goes away within one to two weeks.
The ointment for bruises should have the following properties:
- Relieve pain;
- Neutralize swelling;
- Have anti-inflammatory action;
- Have a resorptive effect;
- The ointment for bruises should have a cooling effect;
- It penetrates well into the subcutaneous tissue (be absorbed).
In this regard, the most effective means are in the form of a gel, they penetrate through cell membranes into damaged tissues better and faster. In the future, you can use the same drug, but in another medicinal form - in the form of an ointment.
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Ointment for bruises based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory substances
An ointment for bruises that contains nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is extremely effective. Unlike bruises, where tissue injury is not so deep, a bruise requires more serious local therapy. Therefore, it is advisable to use an ointment for bruises, a gel containing ibuprofen, diclofenac, ketoprofen.
The ointment for bruises is applied to the site of injury with light movements about three to four times a day, depending on the degree of absorption. If the skin is damaged, the use of the ointment is excluded, so as not to cause additional inflammation and irritation. In such cases, treatment of the wound with an antiseptic and a cold compress is indicated. If the area of edema is large and the subcutaneous tissue underneath is compacted, then the absorption of the drug is noticeably reduced. In such situations, the ointment for bruises should be used more often.
Ointment for bruises based on badyagi
Ointment for bruises may include badyagi, which has long been known for its resolving and anti-edematous properties. Ointments based on extracts of herbs and plants give good results. Comfrey ointment, which is often called comfrey, neutralizes swelling, resolves hemarthrosis, and has an anesthetic effect. In addition, if the bruise is on the bone, ointment with comfrey activates the restoration of cartilage cells and relieves inflammation.
Heparin-based ointment for bruises
It is also recommended to use ointments for bruises and gels containing heparin, which has an anticoagulant effect, promotes the fastest resorption of blood clots accumulated under the skin and stabilizes the condition of small capillaries (Heparin ointment, Lyoton). Complex local agents that relieve inflammation and reduce swelling are also effective - Indovazin or Dolobene. The next stage of local therapy can be the use of ointments that improve blood circulation and metabolic processes in damaged soft tissues, these are ointments based on bee, snake venom, warming agents - Finalgon, Espole, Apizatron.
Bruise ointment should not be used for more than seven days, after which the pain should subside and swelling should decrease. If a hematoma persists, this is considered normal for up to two weeks. Any symptom of a bruise that cannot be relieved with topical medications within a week indicates a more serious, deep injury that requires qualified medical care.