Some bruises, especially those from surgery, can take weeks to heal. They are caused by a build up of blood under the skin after an injury which range from minor to serious, but the more serious, the longer they take to heal. Bruising in cosmetic surgery is a concern as patients have just gone through a procedure to make themselves look better, and they don't want to have purple marks all over themselves.
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On The Doctors, Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a plastic surgeon who works with cast member Dr. Drew Ordon, demonstrates the Candela VBeam laser's ability to reduce the appearance of bruises. The VBeam is a pulsed dye laser (PDL) that emits light which is then converted into heat to target specific treatment needs. The bruise isn't gone immediately, but the healing process is sped up so the bruise is usually gone within 24-48 hours.
The laser is applied directly to the bruised area and vaporizes the blood under the skin nearly painlessly and in just a few seconds. The same laser, the VBeam is also used to treat many other skin conditions such as port wine stains, rosacea and hemangioma. VBeam manufacturer Candela was recently acquired by Syneron Medical.
Ice packs should also be applied after surgery to reduce swelling and an Arnica-based product will help the bruising as well.
