How can I minimize the appearance of a facial injury?

Question

I am supposed to start a new job this week, but last night while playing softball I took a 40 mile an hour ball to the forehead above my left eye. Today it is still swollen and my eyelids are purple and I have abrassions from the stiching on the ball. How can I make my appearnce less startling for my job, without running the risk of causing an infection in the abrassion?

Today the swelling and bruising has also moved to below my eyes as well as my eyelids. This morning I had to literally pry my eyelids open....I look like a car wreck!!!
I have been using ice but I think it is actually making it worse.

Answer 1

If you think the ice isn't working, the swelling isn't going away and your only option is makeup, you're going to want to use camouflage makeup. This kind of makeup is used after plastic surgery in the areas that are bruised and discolored. The important thing is to look for products that are hypoallergenic and fragrance free. There are three basic approaches to camouflage cosmetics (the three C's):

Concealing--hiding incision lines and bruises; color Correcting--neutralizing color in reddened or yellowish skin; and Contouring--disguising swelling and creating the illusion of highlights and shadows.

Concealers are thicker and more opaque than regular foundation makeup. They can cover healed incision lines as well as scars or bruises on your face or body.

Choose a concealer that's opaque and waterproof, but creamy enough that it doesn't pull on your skin when you apply it. If you can find a concealer that closely matches your skin tone, you may not have to use a foundation on top of it.

It's not a good idea to use concealer on the thin, delicate skin around your eyes, since concealer is thick and will collect in the creases. Instead, try using a normal fluid foundation, color corrector, or eye makeup alone.

Color correctors are used to disguise the yellowish shade of a bruise or the overall redness that follows chemical peel and dermabrasion. They come in tints: lavender corrector neutralizes yellow tones, while green corrector removes red.

Less opaque than concealers, color correctors have the same consistency and sheerness as foundation. They're generally used under your foundation.

For contouring, you'll need two separate products: a highlighter, which is about two shades lighter than your normal foundation; and a contour shadow, about two shades darker than your foundation. (You probably won't find products labeled highlighter and contour shadow. Just look for the appropriate shades of foundation makeup or pressed power.)

Answer 2

Use Ice packs, 10-20 minutes on and the same off. Repeat. Use Dermablend - heavy/thick make-up. I have had a couple of serious facial injuries/windshield cuts. So FOR OTHERS: I found it best to let the area heal fully and completely, being sure to keep a heavy sun block such as zinc on the scar area. Do NOT put vitamin E on a freshly healed cut...it can cause keloid scar, etc. After a while I use abrasive scrub on and around the area - GENTLY please...you don't want to aggravate the new skin. A quality moisturizer is a must. A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies is a MUST! It helps you heal from the inside out. I always take a multi-vitamin in the AM and a multiple mineral at bedtime (I have fingernails like most peoples acrylics, and my bone density is that of someone 1/3 my age)
You must understand it will take a while for this area to look better. Every month, every year that goes by, it WILL be better. Always remember, you are more than a scar, you are a complete and beautiful person. So smile! it improves your face value!

Answer 3

There is a product called “liquid bandage” that you can pick up from the drug store to seal the abrasions and protect against infection. After that sets, use a good concealer, something made for dark under eye circles, and cover the whole area. After that sets you might look washed out, so add your own color concealer, powder, eyeshadow, etc. until you look close to normal.

Also, if you have an office job, you might try wearing glasses that tint automatically when you go outside. They usually tint a little under office light, hiding your concealed bruises, and people will just assume you need them because they are prescription. You can probably find a pair at any store that sells glasses, and just order them without a prescription, or as “fashion glasses.”

And there is always the option of explaining the situation to your new boss and asking to start a week later. Those bruises look painful! Don’t forget to ice!

Good luck with your new job!

Answer 4

Ok best thing to decrease swelling is to apply ice packs. take a tissue or clean cloth keep ice cubes in it and apply itover the swelling 1 minute and take it off for 1 minute . Do that several times

Swelling goes down

As far as the bruising which has caused purple appearence you will have to conceal it by some make up. Unfortunately it will take at least 7-10 days to get absorbed.

But, most importantly you need to see the doctor as it may cause serious eye injuries if not immediately some times or very rarely.

Do not worry about your appearence. If i were you I would run to the eye doctor.

I am an eye doctor

Answer 5

Well you can actually BURN your skin by putting ice on it for too long and having it too cold. Start rotating between hot and cold compresses tomorrow, they will help the swellling go down. Do one minute, hot, one minute cold, and repeat that several times a day. Don't make the hot too hot nor the cold too cold, you just need to feel cool and warm. Rotating them will dilate and contract the blood vessels helping the swelling to go down.

These things happen, by next week it should be a lot better. Buy a really good CONCEALER lighter than your skin colour then pat regular foundation over it. Until then don't put anything on it at all.

And there is nothing wrong with you saying, excuse my shiner, I know you must be wondering but I caught a fastball with my face last week.

Someone said a cloth dipped in water and vinegar will draw the bruise blood out but I don't know...can't hurt but try it only under your eye as you don't want vinegar in you eye.

Answer 6

Too much ice can lower the amount of feeling in the tissue, leading to the blood not being able to get there. Use the ice in a towel, and cover your eye. If it gets too bad, see a doctor. Otherwise, you may just want to use cover-up and ice until it goes down, cuz everyone at ur job is going to notice when you dont open your eye at all. Make sure that the abrasion has a bandage and is clean before putting on makeup, because the bandage should cover the scratches, there is NO need to put make up on that, which will lead to infection. hope this helps =] o,o get better.

Answer 7

Start with clean skin, Physicians Formula, has a concealer, which is yellow ,and green, you can even out the purple of the bruise with the yellow concealer, and then apply your makeup as usual, based on your skin tone. As well, for the swelling you should put a used cold tea bag ( the antioxidants in the teas work as an anti inflammatory), and after that a cucumber slice. For the abrasions, neosporin under the concealer, until the abrasions heal. After they are healed, apply pure cocoa butter as a moisturizer, this prevents scarring. This should be better in a few days, don't worry.. Oh ans Physicians Formula make up is available at most drug stores, like Walgreens and CVS.

Answer 8

If you can, before you start work put something cold (like an ice pack) on the bruise as often as you can. There are some special creams that a dermatologist should be able to prescribe for you that will help it heal faster too. It should make a lot of difference by the time you start work. If it is still there when you start all you can really do is put some makeup over it (like how they cover marks and bruises in the tv/film industry), but be sure to keep the area clean and makeup free anytime you can.

Answer 9

I agree with Stefanie a if you didn't see her answer here's her answer again:


put an not too cold ice pack on the swollen area and leave on for bout 15-20 min, then take it off then put it back on later. most likely u'll probably get a bruise. if thats the case do the cold compress then put a warm compress and alternate for like an hour a day or more if you like. but regarless its gonna be swollen and ice can only help so much. as for your eyelid, just put similiar colored eyeshadows on both eyes..try some dark purples or even black if necessary so you wont look tooo strange heh. the abrasions..u just gotta let them heal...try not to pick the scabs or u'll get scars...if not..try using foundation or just fix your hair so its falls over the bad side. if u use make up at the end of the day just wash off the make up with mild soap and water and u'll be good. dont touch it too much to avoid infection. hope that helps! :)



ice wiill just minimize the swelling...in any case if you expect swelling on anything always always PUT ICE IMMEDIATELY it will reduce swelling...ur eye will be swollen..no avoiding that..ice will minimize it. your body is hurt, so water is rusing to your tissue area and the bruise is collected blood. ice will constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling and a warm compress will dilate them to absorb all the stuff thats making your tissue imflamed back into your system


Don't chose me as a best answer if this helps choose stefanie a.

Answer 10

which is yellow ,and green, you can even out the purple of the bruise with the yellow concealer, and then apply your makeup as usual, based on your skin tone. As well, for the swelling you should put a used cold tea bag ( the antioxidants in the teas work as an anti inflammatory), and after that a cucumber slice. For the abrasions, neosporin under the concealer, until the abrasions heal. After they are healed, apply pure cocoa butter as a moisturizer, this prevents scarring. This should be better in a few days, don't worry.. Oh ans Physicians Formula make up is available at most drug stores, like Walgreens and CVS.

Answer 11

Take acetominiphen for the pain and read this:

Self-care Steps for Black Eye

Apply cold compresses or ice wrapped with a towel or other cloth (to protect the skin) to the eye as soon as possible after the injury occurs. Use cold for 10 minutes every hour to reduce swelling and limit bruising. Avoid placing ice directly onto the eye.

Wear sunglasses in bright areas to avoid eyestrain. (You'll also avoid all those questions about how you got a black eye.)

Don't bother ruining a steak by placing it over the eye in hopes of quicker healing. The steak merely provides cold and pressure, which help your black eye no better than an ice pack. There are no other medically proven benefits from placing a steak on a black eye.