black eye

Fore some, a black eye is a badge of honor, a symbol of having principles and being willing to fight for them. But for others, it's an emblem of embarrassment - the result of foolishly walking into a door, challenging a guy named Turk to a fight or going for a pony ride on a fire-snortin' bronco known as The Widow Maker.

Well, never mind how you go that shiner. Here's how to heal it and hide it quicker than you can say "Knockout!"

"Eating pineapple or papaya - or better yet, a fruit cocktail made of both - can help remedy a black eye," says Las Vegas orthopedic surgeon Michael Rask, M.D., chairman of the American Board of Ringside Medicine and Surgery. According to Dr. Rask, "An enzyme found in those fruits 'changes' the molecular structure of the blood, so it's more easily absorbed by the body." If you have a black eye, eat three papaya in capsule form (sold in health food stores) four times a day. Loading up on pineapple will also do the trick, according to Dr. Rask, and both fruits give you a healthy does of vitamin C.

Remember when tough guys used to slap a slab of raw steak over a black eye? Well, it isn't the steak that brings relief; it's the coldness of the piece of meat that helps decrease blood flow and relieve swelling. But you can save yourself some money (as well as a nice piece of meat) by using anything icy. "I recommend you use a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a washcloth," advise Rodney Basler, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "It contours to your face better than a steak, and when you're done using it, you can throw the bag back into the freeser and save it for the next day's treatment." Keep the cold compress on your blackened eye for about 20 minutes, or until the skin begins to feel numb; then remove it for about 10 minutes. Continue for three days.

It's an anticoagulant, which means it prevents the blood from clotting. "If you take aspirin, you may have a harder time stopping the bleeding that causes discoloration," says ophthalmologist JackJeffers, M.D., director of emergency services and director of the Center for Sports Vision at Wills Eye Hospital i Philadelphia. "So you may wind up with a bigger bruise." If you need a pain relieve, it's better to stick with Tylenol and other acetaminophen products.

A makeup product called Dermablend, available over the counter, is effective at hiding birthmarks and skin discoloration caused by broken blood vessels. "Dermablend certainly helps cover a black eye," says Dr. Basler.