For those who bruise easily.

A bruise is a sign of an injury under your skin. Broken blood vessels-from a fall, a bump, or a blow-bleed into nearby tissue, turning it that familiar shade of purple and blue (fading, of course, to brown, yellow, and green).

For everyday bruising, here's a selection of alternative home remedies to help soothe the pain and speed healing. And, if you're an easy bruiser, with a ring of purple blooming at the slightest provocation, you'll find a remedy for preventing these unsightly injuries.

ARNICA: Stop a Bruise before It Starts

Arming yourself with arnica cream can save your arms-and other body parts-from painful bruising, says Pamela Fischer, founder and director of the Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies in Concord, California. "It really takes the pain away," she says. And it can also stop a bruise from forming if you use it immediately after you hurt yourself. A few times a day, simply spread arnica cream on the area that you've injured. But don't use it if the surface of your skin is broken. "Externally, arnica is fabulous for bruising," says Fischer, "but it's poisonous internally."

BROMELAIN: To Minimize Bruising
Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme (a natural chemical that helps break down food) found in pineapple. It may also "digest" fibrin, a substance produced after a bruise that contributes to swelling and inflammation.

"Bromelain is a very good remedy for bruising," says Holly Zapf, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Portland, Oregon. When taken with food, bromelain assists in digesting the proteins that you've eaten. When taken at other times, it actually helps digest the proteins that trigger inflammation and pain in the body, she explains.

Eating more pineapple won't work, though, because you can't get enough bromelain to do the trick. Instead, look for bromelain supplements. Take 250 to 500 milligrams in tablet or capsule form between meals until the bruising and inflammation subside.

HYDROTHERAPY: For Faster Relief
All you need for fast, effective relief is a kitchen timer and two washcloths, says Beverly Yates, N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Natural Health Care Group in Seattle. Soak one washcloth in water that’s so warm that you can barely handle it but not so hot that it burns your skin, and soak the other in very cold water. Wring out both washcloths, and then put the hot one on the bruise for 3 minutes. Take it off and apply the cold washcloth for 30 seconds. Repeat this process four times, resoaking the washcloths to keep them maximally hot and cold. "The hot water brings blood to the area, and the cold water takes it away," explains Dr. Yates. This pumping action brings fresh nutrients to the bruise and removes waste products-the perfect combo for faster healing.

AROMATHERAPY: The Right Combination
Mix three drops of peppermint essential oil and three drops of lavender essential oil with 1 ounce of sweet almond oil, says Kal Kotecha, an aroma therapist in Waterloo, Ontario. Spread the mixture on the bruise three or four times a day, covering it with gauze each time. Tape the gauze with an adhesive bandage, but not so tightly that the bruise can't "breathe." Peppermint helps reduce inflammation, and lavender helps relieve pain.

AROMATHERAPY: Time for a Change
After a day or two of using the peppermint and lavender oil formula, switch to the following mixture and use it for up to 2 weeks. Combine three drops each of the essential oils of rosemary, black pepper, and juniper in 1 ounce of sweet almond oil. "These are all 'warming" oils," says Kotecha, that speed healing by increasing circulation to the bruise.

CITRUS FRUIT: For Those Who Bruise Easily
If you tend to bruise easily, Dr. Yates recommends eating citrus fruits every day, especially the white part of the rinds. "They're rich in bioflavonoids, which keep platelets from clumping together and strengthen blood vessel walls, thus preventing easy bruising," she says.