A black eye is both painful and embarrassing. Fortunately, in most cases, this is not a serious problem and the bruise fades without special care. On the other hand, there isn't much you can do to get rid of this blemish quickly; There are, however, remedies to speed up healing and you can always rely on cosmetics to reduce the evidence of the blemish when you leave the house.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Initial Black Eye Treatment
Step 1. Apply ice to the area around the eye
You can place a cold pack, ice cloth, or bag of frozen vegetables on the swollen area every 10 minutes. For the first two days after "injury" put on ice for about 20 minutes every hour.
- Start this cold therapy immediately and continue for 24-48 hours.
- Remember to apply pressure to the skin surrounding the eye and not the eyeball itself.
- Make sure you wrap the ice pack in a towel. Applying ice directly to the skin can be harmful and cause chilblains.
Step 2. Take pain relievers
If the discomfort and pain are hard to take, then take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Generally paracetamol (Tachipirina) is considered the best solution. However, ibuprofen (Brufen) is also a viable option, depending on what you have available. You can buy both medicines at the pharmacy without a prescription.
- The use of aspirin should be avoided, because it reduces blood clotting.
- Follow the instructions on the leaflet to know the dosage. You usually need to take two tablets every 4-6 hours.
- If you have kidney or liver problems, consult your doctor before taking this type of medication.
Step 3. Do not force the eye to open it
Occasionally, the hematoma is accompanied by a lot of swelling around the eye. If you find that you are having a hard time opening your eyelids, then you have no reason to force yourself to do so. Once you've ruled out the possibility that it is something more serious than a black eye (i.e. that there are no complications), there is no problem keeping the eye closed, especially if you feel too much pain opening it.
Step 4. Protect the injured eye during any "risky" activity
While the eye heals (usually takes 1-2 weeks in total) you must wear goggles or other protective equipment when you are in situations that are potentially dangerous and could cause other damage. If you have injured yourself during a sports workout, avoid exercising until your eye is completely healed.
Step 5. Make sure there is no other damage
A black eye is certainly not beautiful to look at, but it is not necessarily a serious damage. However, if it is accompanied by other injuries to the eyeball, you need to go to the emergency room as soon as possible. You may have suffered severe eye or head damage.
- Look carefully at the white portion of the eye and the iris. If you notice the presence of blood in these areas, then the eye could be seriously injured. Make an urgent appointment with an eye doctor.
- If you experience vision problems, such as blurry vision, diplopia, or photophobia, you should immediately call an ophthalmologist.
- Other signs of serious eye damage are: severe pain accompanying eye movements, numbness of the face, swelling or sunkenness of the eye and socket, nosebleeds and dizziness.
Part 2 of 3: Provide Continuing Care
Step 1. Avoid applying pressure to the injured eye or causing further damage
The area will be very sensitive until the hematoma disappears. If you press on the eye you will not only feel pain, but may aggravate the condition of the blood vessels under the skin, making the problem worse and prolonged.
- You should also avoid forcing the eye to stay open for a long time before the swelling has subsided.
- Do not lie down on the side corresponding to the black eye. The pressure you accidentally apply could extend the healing time.
Step 2. After 24-48 hours, switch to a moist warm compress
After a couple of days of using ice packs to relieve pain, you should change your strategy and start placing moist heat sources on the injured area.
- Place a warm, damp cloth or similar compress on the bruised area. Do not use the electric warmer, as it creates dry heat and could reach excessive temperatures, further damaging the sensitive skin on your face.
- Apply the pack for 10-minute sessions alternating with rest periods no shorter than 10 minutes.
- Remember not to place the heat source directly on the eyeball, but only on the surrounding skin.
- The hot compress increases the circulation of the area to the damaged blood vessels. In this way the blood that has stagnated under the skin is reabsorbed, accelerating the healing process.
Step 3. Call your doctor if the injury gets worse or doesn't go away
The bruise should become noticeably lighter within a week or so. After this time, if you don't notice any noticeable improvement, make an appointment with your doctor.
You should also call your doctor if the bruise gets darker or worsens after two or four days of treatment
Part 3 of 3: Hide a Black Eye with Cosmetics
Step 1. Wait until the swelling has subsided
Immediately after the injury, your priority should be to promote the healing process. If you apply make-up to the still swollen eye, you can worsen the damage to your blood vessels.
- Also, as soon as you apply the cold packs to the damaged area, you will also remove the makeup used to hide the bruise, making all your work useless.
- Wait for the hot pack phase before applying eye make-up, and only wear make-up before you leave the house when you have to meet other people.
Step 2. Choose a concealer
For best results you should use a liquid concealer with a yellow-green tint. This product is easier to apply and blend, plus it needs minimal pressure to spread on the skin.
- You must use a complementary concealer before applying the regular one. In fact, the standard products are designed to match the specific complexion and are only able to even out the skin tone. The complementary ones instead exploit the principle of complementarity of colors to hide the stained areas.
- The yellow concealer is usually perfect for an early black eye when the bruise is dark purple. As the hematoma becomes lighter and takes on red or yellow-brown shades, then you can switch to a green concealer.
- Apply the product with your fingers. Gently pat the area first to transfer small dots of make-up to the entire area affected by the bruise. Then apply light pressure and blend the cosmetic onto the skin, hiding the hematoma.
Step 3. At this point, apply the regular concealer
When the complementary concealer has dried, you can use the one that matches your complexion and apply a second layer. By doing this, you eliminate and uniform any anomalous nuances caused by the previous product.
Step 4. If you wish, finish the job with your usual make-up
The two coats of concealer should be enough to hide the black eye without other interventions. However, you can finish putting on your makeup as usual if you wish.
