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 5/14/2017
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.