Covering Bruises

steph861

Basically, I'm a klutz and I always have at least one bruise on my arms. My wedding is in less than a month, and since I can't guarantee that I'll be bruise-free, what can I do to cover them up? My dress is sleeveless, and wearing something over top isn't an option. Any particularly effectively products? I have very fair skin.

Thanks!

Inkdancer

Get a foundation/ powder that is more orange in tone than your skin. It will neutralize the purpleness.

steph861

Inkdancer said:

Get a foundation/ powder that is more orange in tone than your skin. It will neutralize the purpleness.

Thanks! Any tips for hiding partially-faded bruises that have turned yellow?

novella1186

Use tattoo-covering make-up. Cat Von D makes a good one that's at Sephora. Also, use vitamin E oil and gently massage the bruise for 20 minutes. Then ice. Then massage again. This breaks up the blood that pools at the surface and will eventually dissolve the bruise. 

levioosa

What about using products that are meant for covering up tattoos?

Inkdancer

steph861 said:

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Inkdancer said:

Get a foundation/ powder that is more orange in tone than your skin. It will neutralize the purpleness.

Thanks! Any tips for hiding partially-faded bruises that have turned yellow?

Same principle: use color theory to neutralize it. So in this case, you would want a color that is a little more cool-toned than your natural skin. If you have to you can even mix in a little bit of matte pale purple/blue eyeshadow yourself (but just a teeny weeny bit).

If they are faded enough, I wouldn't bother. They won't really show up in pictures well.

beethery

Eat bananas, look for arnica cream, take some advil, and be more careful!

steph861

beethery said:

Eat bananas, look for arnica cream, take some advil, and be more careful!

The number of times I've promised myself to be more careful and then promptly smacked my arm on something when turning around... Knowing me, no matter how careful I am, I'm gonna need a fail-safe :P

jenna8984

steph861 said:

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beethery said:

Eat bananas, look for arnica cream, take some advil, and be more careful!

The number of times I've promised myself to be more careful and then promptly smacked my arm on something when turning around... Knowing me, no matter how careful I am, I'm gonna need a fail-safe :P

lol that's my best friend too! She has tripped and scraped her knees probably more than all of us on here combined, I don't know how she does it!

Is your photographer going to be doing any retouching? That will help.

climbingsingle

I am very clumsy and I bruise super easy. I swear by this stuff called Traumeel cream. You can find it at any health food store. Rub in on any bruises you have currently AND any new ones you get between now and the wedding. It saved me! 

birdybride2014

Girl, I'm going to have bruises all over my body. I constantly have bruises from god knows what.... I wouldn't worry about it too much, and you can always ask your photographer to edit out any real bad ones.

theartistformerlyknownas

Ditto the suggestion of Arnica gel. It helps bruises heal faster. I think this is a better route than gooping on makeup that could rub off onto you or your guests' clothing.

charlottesmom0626

I've seen a method of using a hot compress and a fork? I think you lightly rake the fork across the bruise (to break up the clot) and the hot compress allows your body to get rid of the old blood. Double check that on google, I read that about 15 years ago when I had a hickey I needed to hide from my parents.

beethery

charlottesmom0626 said:

I've seen a method of using a hot compress and a fork? I think you lightly rake the fork across the bruise (to break up the clot) and the hot compress allows your body to get rid of the old blood. Double check that on google, I read that about 15 years ago when I had a hickey I needed to hide from my parents.

I am not a doctor, but I was under the impression that bruising isn't clotting, but compressed/broken blood vessels or capillaries. To the wikipedia!

Yes. Not clotting but vein trauma that allows blood to seep out of the vessels.

Don't think hot-forking would do much to assist there.

blabla89

beethery said:

Eat bananas, look for arnica cream, take some advil, and be more careful!

Yes, I swear by arnica gel because I'm clumsy too and "be more careful" just doesn't cut it for me. Keep a tube of it handy and rub it on whenever you bump yourself - it really does help to mitigate the bruising.

themuffinman16

Bubble wrap?

theartistformerlyknownas

beethery said:

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charlottesmom0626 said:

I've seen a method of using a hot compress and a fork? I think you lightly rake the fork across the bruise (to break up the clot) and the hot compress allows your body to get rid of the old blood. Double check that on google, I read that about 15 years ago when I had a hickey I needed to hide from my parents.

I am not a doctor, but I was under the impression that bruising isn't clotting, but compressed/broken blood vessels or capillaries. To the wikipedia!

Yes. Not clotting but vein trauma that allows blood to seep out of the vessels.

Don't think hot-forking would do much to assist there.

Hot, hot forking cures so many other things though... Love a good forking.

raissyrais

Inkdancer said:

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steph861 said:

Inkdancer said:

Get a foundation/ powder that is more orange in tone than your skin. It will neutralize the purpleness.

Thanks! Any tips for hiding partially-faded bruises that have turned yellow?

Same principle: use color theory to neutralize it. So in this case, you would want a color that is a little more cool-toned than your natural skin. If you have to you can even mix in a little bit of matte pale purple/blue eyeshadow yourself (but just a teeny weeny bit).

If they are faded enough, I wouldn't bother. They won't really show up in pictures well.

Inkdancer is right, any colour that shows on your skin as bruises/spots etc can be covered with a foundation that's the opposite of that colour on the colour wheel. So for red you should cover with greenish tones, purple with orange tones etc. Tattoo covering makeup will work very well but make sure you get a good translucent setting powder cause that shit can stain your clothes big time (wedding dress!!!). Massaging it with vitamin E is a great idea too!

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826

Omg, I came over here because I thought someone gave you a shiner and I was all like "DID HE HIT YOU?  THAT'S NOT COOL!"  But I see you too are a clumsy person.  I would say "Clumsy girls unite!" but we'd just crash into each other.  

I've never heard of that cream/gel stuff.  I usually get bruises on my legs (grocery bags banging on my legs, coffee table corners, using my leg to open the car door etc).  Is it expensive?

I guess you can do photo touchups if the bruising is really obvious.

steph861

goldchocobo said:

Omg, I came over here because I thought someone gave you a shiner and I was all like "DID HE HIT YOU?  THAT'S NOT COOL!"  But I see you too are a clumsy person.  I would say "Clumsy girls unite!" but we'd just crash into each other.  

I've never heard of that cream/gel stuff.  I usually get bruises on my legs (grocery bags banging on my legs, coffee table corners, using my leg to open the car door etc).  Is it expensive?

I guess you can do photo touchups if the bruising is really obvious.

My legs are always worse than my arms, for the same reasons as you. I'm so glad my dress will cover my legs and we're not going somewhere tropical on the honeymoon! Also, my hips are at exactly the same height as all of our doorknobs, so I occasionally get bruises there too.

anjemon

I second asking your photographer about touch-ups. One of the ones we interviewed said she uses the two week rule with touch-ups. If it'll be gone in two weeks she removes it from the pictures. But of course if pictures aren't what you're worried about make up and healing is the way to go and I have no good suggestions.

levieenrose

I don't have much advice to offer other than seconding using make-up with undertones of the opposite color. 

But just to make you laugh: 
There was a blood drive at my high school 3 days before prom. Pretty much everyone wanted to give blood, and for most of us it was our first time. 

...Well, some of us got stabbed rather inefficiently and had lovely, gigantic, wrap-around arm bruises with our fancy, sleeveless prom dresses.

ETF: spelling

steph861

levieenrose said:

I don't have much advice to offer other than seconding using make-up with undertones of the opposite color. 

But just to make you laugh: 
There was a blood drive at my high school 3 days before prom. Pretty much everyone wanted to give blood, and for most of us it was our first time. 

...Well, some of us got stabbed rather inefficiently and had lovely, gigantic, wrap-around arm bruises with our fancy, sleeveless prom dresses.

ETF: spelling

Amazing.