MadSci Network: Other |
Gentle kisses? Seriously, I do not know of anyway to accelerate the healing of bruised skin. If the concern is that the hickie is too visible, I would consider some kind of makeup. The "medical term for this kind of injury is ecchymosis. Cuts (what doctors call lacerations) or scrapes (abrasions in MD-speak) will generally heal faster if covered with a moist bandage. Many plastic surgeons use bacitracin ointment which is available without a prescription. I would advise against anything with neomycin in it (such as Polymyxin or "triple-antibiotic" preparations) because about 5% of the population becomes allergic to neomycin. Then you get an allergic dermatitis that gets confused with a secondary infection. The advice about a moist dressing is of course just the opposite of what I was originally taught in medical school. Ideas change. David Winsemius, MD Othe Section Admin
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