Overview
A bruise first begins as a pinkish, red color, changes to dark blue or purple, fades to violet, green, dark yellow, and turns a pale yellow until it completely disappears. A bruise will usually completely heal in 2 weeks.
Review Date 5/29/2024
Updated by: Debra G. Wechter, MD, FACS, General Surgery Practice Specializing in Breast Cancer, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.