MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Bruise healing

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Bruise healing - series: Healing, part 1

Bruise healing - series
Illustrations:

Indications

Healing, part 1

Healing, part 2

Within hours a bruise will turn into a dark blue or purple color. As the bruise begins to heal it changes colors. The color change is due to the biochemical breakdown of hemoglobin that is found in the blood. As the different components of the blood are broken down, different colors will appear in the bruise.

Update Date: 5/17/2007

Updated by: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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