Black Eye

Black Eye

For some, a black eye is a badge of honor, a symbol of having principles and being willing to fight for them. But for others, it's an emblem of embarrassment--the result of foolishly walking into a door, challenging a guy named Turk to a fight or going for a pony ride on a fire-snortin' bronco known as The Widow Maker.

Well, never mind how you got that shiner. Here's how to heal it and hide it quicker than you can say "Knockout!"

Give it a Hawaiian punch. "Eating pineapple or papaya--or better yet, a fruit cocktail made of both--can help remedy a black eye," says Las Vegas orthopedic surgeon Michael Rask, M.D., chairman of the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Board of Ringside Medicine and Surgery. According to Dr. Rask, "An enzyme found in those fruits 'changes' the molecular structure of the blood, so it's more easily absorbed by the body." If you have a black eye, eat three papayas a day for faster healing. Or you can take up to 600 milligrams of papaya in capsule form (sold in health food stores) four times a day. Loading up on pineapple will also do the trick, according to Dr. Rask, and both fruits give you a healthy dose of vitamin C.

Let vitamin C show its muscle. It's well documented that vitamin C promotes healing--and for anyone who bruises easily, getting plenty of vitamin C in your diet is a must. If you're sporting a black eye, take a daily vitamin C supplement and increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods such as broccoli, mangoes, peppers and sweet potatoes, as well as pineapple and papaya, to speed the healing process.

Chill your shiner with frozen corn. Remember when tough guys used to slap a slab of raw steak over a black eye? Well, it isn't the steak that brings relief; it's the coldness of the piece of meat that helps decrease blood flow and relieve swelling. But you can save yourself some money (as well as a nice piece of meat) by using anything icy. "I recommend you use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a washcloth," advises Rodney Basler, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "It contours to your face better than a steak, and when you're done using it, you can just throw the bag back into the freezer and save it for the next day's treatment." Keep the cold compress on your blackened eye for about 20 minutes, or until the skin begins to feel numb; then remove it for about 10 minutes. You may continue this procedure on and off for three days, or until swelling subsides.

Avoid aspirin. It's an anticoagulant, which means it prevents the blood from clotting. "If you take aspirin, you may have a harder time stopping the bleeding that causes discoloration," says ophthalmologist Jack Jeffers, M.D., director of emergency services and director of the Center for Sports Vision at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. "So you may wind up with a bigger bruise." If you need a pain reliever, it's better to stick with Tylenol and other acetaminophen products.

Hide the damage. A makeup product called Dermablend, available over the counter, is effective at hiding birthmarks and skin discoloration caused by broken blood vessels. "Dermablend certainly helps cover a black eye," says Dr. Basler.