A black eye isn’t contagious or dangerous, but it’ll stick around your face advertising the fact that something hit it hard enough to bruise. The puffy, purple-yellow situation takes about two weeks to fade completely if you do nothing. You can speed that up. Not by much, but enough to matter if you’ve got somewhere to be.
1. Ice, Ice, Ice
Ice it immediately. Use an ice pack or a zip-lock bag filled with ice (cubed or crushed works fine). Hold it against the bruise gently – don’t press. The cold constricts blood vessels and slows the bleeding under your skin, which means less purple. The more blood that pools there, the darker and longer-lasting the bruise gets. Apply for 15-20 minutes every hour for the first 48 hours. Yeah, that’s a lot of icing. Do it anyway.
2. Don’t Blow
Don’t blow your nose for at least a few days, even if you need to. The area around your eye connects to your sinuses through small bones, and blowing creates pressure that can make things worse. It’ll hurt, and in the worst case, you can force air into the tissue around your eye. Not worth it.
3. Elevation
Sleep with your head elevated. Two pillows work. This keeps blood from pooling in your face overnight and making the bruise worse. Lying flat means gravity’s working against you.
Skip aspirin and ibuprofen. Both thin your blood, which means more bleeding under the skin. If you need pain relief, use acetaminophen instead. That’s it. Ice, no nose-blowing, head up when sleeping, and patience.
